Deniann Grant

St. Petersburg College alumna Deniann Grant is taking the leadership skills she learned at SPC and impacting students and teachers in her role with Teach for America.

A 2016 finalist for Teach for America's national Sue Lehmann Teaching and Learning Fellowship, Deniann was one of 25 teachers nationwide recognized for the impact they have made on the academic and personal growth of their students.

"I really believe in Teach for America's mission of giving all children a chance to have an excellent education," she said. "As a classroom community, we have been able to build a very strong sense of connection with our students. It is important for me to be someone in a child's life that they can look back on and see as impactful."

A former Johnnie Ruth Clarke scholar, Grant earned her Associate in Arts degree from SPC in 2012 with a focus on Communications. Afterwards, she transferred to the University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and history in 2014. Since then, she has worked with Teach for America, the national teacher corps committed to expanding educational opportunities for all children.

After two years of teaching first grade English Language Arts in Bridgeport, Conn., she was recently promoted to Manager in Teacher Leadership Development in Miami-Dade. Her new position moves her from the classroom into a mentor/coach role where she will advise teachers and collect data on the effectiveness of their efforts.

Looking back, Grant credits the leadership training she received while a student at SPC to much of her success today.

"Because I had people believe in me at St. Petersburg College, I was always involved in leadership training. When I think about my identity and how I interact with people and other professionals, I realize that I learned the gist of that at SPC."

In her two years at St. Petersburg College, Grant served as President of the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus Student Government Association and Chief Executive Officer for the transitional team of MYRA (Make Your Radio Active) Radio Network.