Kaylan D. Holloway
Social Studies Teacher
Central Visual and Performing Arts High School-SLPS
Born: St. Louis, MO
High School:
Soldan High School
College & Degree(s):
Univ. Mo Columbia, Political Science & Communications
UMSL, Masters of Education. Expected May 2016
FOCUS St. Louis
Tell us about iGUIDE, the organization you founded as a student at Mizzou, and your motivation for creating it.
I founded iGUIDE my freshman year at Mizzou, after witnessing several of my fellow first-generation, African-American classmates dropout of college within their first year. iGUIDE was aimed at assisting first-generation college students, (especially those who graduated from an inner-city high school) adapt to life and academics at the collegiate level. Within our first year, we were funded by the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative and had a membership size of nearly 75 students. Freshmen students were teamed up with an upperclassman that shared similar demographics and interest as them. Each week we offered leadership development, community service and peer-to-peer mentoring opportunities. Once students completed their first year, they would then reach back and become a mentor to a new student. Successfully, nearly 90% of all students that participated in iGUIDE, graduated within four to five years, thus increasing the retention rate of students once labeled as “at-risk.”
You served as an intern for state senator Robin Wright-Jones and as chief of staff for state representative Michael Butler. What drew you to politics?
In the seventh grade, my teachers at Yeatman-Liddell Middle School nominated me to participate in the Jr. National Youth Leadership Conference based in Washington D.C. After exploring our nation’s capitol and understanding the impact that an effective policy maker could have on their community, I fell in love with politics. I was the only kid in middle school that ran home to watch CNN with my grandmother and could always update someone about recent bills and election results. It was without question that I would go to school for Political Science and Journalism.
As a St. Louis native, what brought you back to St. Louis after graduation?
While working with Rep. Butler, I was required to split my time between our Jefferson City office and our district office in St. Louis. During my time in the State Capitol, I was able to witness some of the public policy inequities that put a damper on public education back home in St. Louis. It was disheartened to see lawmakers continuously approve legislation such as underfunding the Foundation Formula. That led me to become even more passionate about making an influence in the lives of our young people. Coupled with my desire to see SLPS thrive and my willingness to “bring up” my community, I joined Teach For America and was placed back home in St. Louis!
Last summer, you took 25 students on a month-long trip to visit significant civil rights places of interest across the Unites States. How did the trip come about?
During the month of June, Cultural Leadership facilitators lead students on a 21-day trip, we call the Transformational Journey, travelling to places in the U.S. of civil rights and social justice significance, including New York City, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuskegee, Selma, Little Rock, etc. They meet and visit people and organizations that have made — and are still making – significant contributions to improving society. Last summer our students met with Rep. John Lewis, Rev. Al Sharpton, Claudette Colvin, Justice Ginsburg, Abe Foxman and many more amazing social justice leaders.
