Speaker: Katie LaBonte
What inspired you to become part of SAAEF?
Katie LaBonte : So what inspired me to become a part of SAAEF? The current president of our state association at the time, Maria Huntington, who is also my supervisor in my day job, and the cohort 3 SAAEF fellow, Karen Dispo-De Boos, shout out to my mentor, had approached me and asked if this fellowship was something that I would be interested in. This was a huge honor for me. I truly look up to these women, and for them to ask me meant a lot. So I did some research, into COABE's fellowship, and I quickly realized that this was something that I was interested in. You know, ultimately, I have a deep respect for COABE and their mission and their dedication to enhancing adult education across the country, and the opportunity to learn from Erin and Sharon was extremely enticing to me. I also looked at this fellowship as an opportunity to kind of grow professionally and step out of my comfort zone a little bit. At the time, when I was approached, I was working as the secretary of our state association, and I looked at this fellowship as an extension of my work there. I also was extremely excited about the opportunity to collaborate and to be able to network with other adult educators across the country who are just as passionate, if not more passionate about the work that we do.
What were your biggest accomplishments during your SAAEF fellowship?
Katie LaBonte : What were my biggest accomplishments during my SAAEF fellowship? I think one of the biggest accomplishments for me was my work within the advocacy committee on our state association board. I've been a member of our state association board for 4 years now. And this fellowship has really given me the opportunity, to lead our advocacy committee, which has been huge. So with the training, and the resources that COABE provides, we've really been able to look at advocacy collectively through a new lens, and I'm excited to see where that work can continue to go. Another big accomplishment for me, I would have to say, is an increase in my own confidence levels, particularly after the COABE Flood the Hill event back in September. I was fortunate enough that our state association was able to send me to that event to represent New York State. This was huge for me. And I'm somebody who gets anxious, nervous when I'm leading up to the event. Usually, when I start speaking or whatever it is that I'm doing, I'm fine, but it's the preparation and the leading up to it that really makes me anxious. And I remember sitting down and talking with Maria, my supervisor and the past president of NYAACE, our state association, and saying like, what are you doing sending me to this? You know, I I just all of a sudden felt like I was not prepared to attend that event, you know, and she sat me down and she put her faith in me, and we had an amazing conversation, and she really empowered me, and that's exactly what I had needed at the time. So I got to Washington, DC. Again, I was super nervous walking into the room to meet, all of my colleague fellows for the first time, you know, and Sharon and Erin. And I just have to say that training that was given to us the night before, combined with my very first legislative visit of the day that went so well, it really helped me realize that I am an expert and I know what I'm talking about, and that was something that I really needed. I've been in adult education for 7 years, and, 4 of those years, you know, I've been on the state association board, and 3 of those years, I've been in the leadership role within my own job. And sometimes I get hung up on the fact that I am so new to adult education, you know, especially when I'm working with all of these wonderful people who have been in adult ed for years and years and years. And so this fellowship just really, especially that event, it just really solidified in me that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. And I am an expert. And so that was really important to me. And I think my third biggest accomplishment, was the current NYAACE president, Amy Mazur, who is also a good friend of mine, had approached me last year, right before she took the president role, and she asked if I would be interested in serving as her president-elect, which means that I would kind of work underneath Amy for a couple of years, and then, I will be taking over the role as president for our state association next year. I can confidently say that I never would have accepted this role if it was not for the work that I've been able to do within this fellowship over the last year.
What would you like to say to someone in the field who is unsure if they have what it takes to be an advocate?
Katie LaBonte : What would I say to somebody in the field who's unsure if they have what it takes to be an advocate? I would say that everybody has what it takes to be an advocate. And that's something that I learned right off the bat through this fellowship. I guess before this fellowship, I looked at advocacy as this, this really big thing, right? And I think that this fellowship has made me realize that advocacy can be small too. You know, every letter that you send, every email you send to representatives, every legislative meeting you schedule, every proclamation request that you submit and you receive is a small step towards raising awareness for adult education. And I think that that's really important to keep in mind, you know, you want to start small and then eventually get to the point where you're more comfortable doing the bigger things. I would say to celebrate the small wins, you know, there were, I submitted some proclamation requests, and I was kind of shot down, and that's OK. You know, it was, it was the smaller things along the way that helped keep my spirit up through this fellowship. And that was really important. And I would just say to that, that you are an expert in the field, whether you were an adult learner yourself and you've experienced going through the adult education system. Or whether you're an adult educator and you serve on a state association, you are an expert and you can speak to what adult education means to you. And I think that that's so important. So just start small, celebrate the small wins, and never forget why you're here and why you do what you do.
