Who Is This Game-Changer, Anyway?

Our newest team member, Ethan Swan, came to the UNC Center for Urban Education by way of AmeriCorps VISTA. VISTA connects volunteers with nonprofit organizations and public agencies, who work as a team to empower people and communities to overcome poverty.

Generation Schools Network is an AmeriCorp host organization, and they generously gifted an AmeriCorp VISTA volunteer to the Center for Urban Education for the 2021/2022 school year. We thank them for their contribution to creating healthy, inclusive school ecosystems.

Swan guarding Air Force One

AmeriCorps VISTA promises to bring talented, driven, passionate people to the table who will expand capacity and “be a game-changer for your organization.” They delivered. Swan is a superstar who is contributing a year of full-time service to the Center. He’ll help us prepare even more top-notch teachers who will go on to teach in our urban classrooms.

An Air Force veteran who served in Security Forces for four years, Swan was a military police officer and guarded assets vital to national security. Though that was almost 10 years ago, Swan says, “Service is still second nature to me.” That’s what led him to pursue a degree in public health after retiring from the military. He graduated from the University of Colorado–Denver in December of 2020.

Service is second nature to me.

Swan advising a student

As he was looking for a job mid-pandemic, he saw the opportunity to help local communities through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Swan interviewed with Dr. Rosanne Fulton, Director of the Center, and felt it was a good match.

“Stronger educators provide a stronger education to our children, and that leads to more successful students,” said Swan. He added, “Educators have the power to raise the wellbeing of the community overall.”

Swan’s duties include providing student advising services and recruiting new students at local community college career fairs.

Educators have the power to raise the wellbeing of the community overall.

Kunno in his prize-winning Halloween costume

“We are extremely fortunate to have such a bright, enthusiastic person on our team,” said Fulton. “Ethan will increase our capacity to serve students and help us enroll more teacher candidates in our program.”

When he isn’t busy being a superhero volunteer, Swan loves to read, play with his three-year-old Shih Tzu–Pomeranian mix, Kunno (pronounced Koo-noh); and watch sports. Though he was born and raised in Pennsylvania, he’s a self-professed “giant Green Bay Packers fan.” GO PACK GO!

We thank Ethan for his service and look forward to working with him this upcoming year.

Newsletter Archive

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Contact Us

Rosanne Fulton, PhD
Director, Center for Urban Education
UNC Denver Center at Lowry
1059 Alton Way
Denver CO 80230
Office: 303-637-4334
rosanne.fulton@unco.edu
www.unco.edu/UrbanEd

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