My name is Niya Hawthorne and I am a Special Education teacher at Summit Tahoma High School. I am so excited to start our trip to Riobamba, Ecuador! I look forward to developing the unique strengths and talents that each of the Glimpsers joining our trip have, including those they may not realize they have. This will be my first international trip as well as my first trip as a Global Glimpse Leader so I am also very eager to see a new country and get to know the people of Riobamba. 

I am a single mother of two young men, Jay who is a rising 11th grader, and Semaj who is 22 years old. The things that I like to do when I am not working include reading different book genres, playing games, listening to music, going to the beach, and finding new places to travel and eat. I can’t wait to immerse myself in the culture and community of Riobamba and I hope that each of you brings the same curiosity along with you as we travel into a new country that will bring new experiences that give you a chance to see the world from a different view. My hope is that after this trip you will want to continue to be a responsible global citizen who realizes that every day we have a chance to make an impact on our world.

 This will be my seventh year as a teacher and my fifth year as a Special Education teacher. I have had the pleasure to also teach elementary students in a multi-grade classroom for 3rd-5th and middle school students in a multi-grade classroom for 6th-8th. It is my passion to instill a love of learning in students, and my goal is that they will have the desire to be life-long learners like me.

I look forward to meeting each of you in person soon. Please reach out to me via text or email if you have any questions or concerns. You should receive an email from me this week.  

See you soon,

Ms. Hawthorne