When she unlocks the door to Trailer 9, sets her bag and keys on her desk and boots up her laptop, systems of support advisory instructional assistant (SOSA IA) Kenika Wawrzyniak does so with a purpose. Wawrzyniak is here to be someone’s someone. From her own experiences in school, she learned the importance of being there for a student.
“I actually had a social worker in elementary school and then in high school and…I felt comfortable,” Wawrzyniak said. “I had those teachers that I definitely could go to and just stay in their classrooms for a little bit because high school gets a little scary at times. They were always so thoughtful but always guided me in the right direction and I’m looking to help those kids out too like that.
As a SOSA IA, Wawrzyniak oversees in-school suspensions (ISS) and detentions. Guiding students in the Edmentum program for online classes also falls under her scope of work.
“Teaching has always been something that has been on my heart,” Wawrzyniak said. “A lot of those kids just need someone to talk to. A lot of them are like ‘Oh they’re troublemakers,’ but they really aren’t. My goal [is] to build a rapport with them and get to know them.”
Wawrzyniak started her career as a lead preschool teacher at The Goddard School. She then transferred to work at Woodson High School as an IA in the Cat-B special education program for students with intellectual disabilities.
“Last year, most of the students that I taught and was with for all those years graduated, so I was like ‘Okay, maybe it’s time to start something new,’” Wawrzyniak said.
In the long-term, Wawrzyniak plans to be a social worker. When she’s not guiding students through their studies, she’s taking her own classes to achieve her dream. Wawrzyniak believes she’s found the best profession for herself in the meantime.
“I think that’s why I was like ‘Oh it’s perfect for me,’” Wawrzyniak said. ”I can help the so-called troubled kids and get to know them more. After they came down for ISS or lunch detention, they would come and just hang out with me. Just building those rapports and letting them know that they have someone they can talk to.”
