Advocate

“Some stories never leave you. Some moments redefine you. For me, it began with a jacket and a refusal to do a sit-up. It ended with my career torn apart, my soul set ablaze, and a mindset that would become unshakable.”
—Becca Moore (Chapter 7)

I never planned to settle down in America. My heart was set on living abroad—teaching, traveling, chasing adventure, and embracing life as a free spirit. That dream shifted the moment I accepted a first-grade teaching position at City Day Community School.

That job changed everything.

It opened my eyes to the reality that learning doesn’t start when the bell rings. My students carried far more than backpacks into the classroom. They carried trauma, instability, hunger, and stories far bigger than their years. To teach them, I had to understand them. Some days, lesson plans didn’t matter—because learning simply wasn’t possible for a child who was just trying to survive that day.

Those kids taught me more than any textbook ever could. They showed me that compassion is not optional. That flexibility is necessary. And that sometimes the most important thing you can give a child is presence, not perfection.

That experience pushed me back to school to earn my counseling license—adding tools to my toolbox so I could show up better, stronger, and more equipped. It also taught me the power of mentorship—how vital it is to bring experienced voices into your classroom and learn from those who have walked the road before you.

I am forever grateful for the children of City Day.
They didn’t just change my career path.
They ignited my purpose—and shaped the fire that still drives me today.