Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bibi Yasmin Katsev. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Bibi Yasmin, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I believe your work ethic is formed very young as a child, which my parents personified onto us. They are both immigrants and very hard workers. I think my parents were very drawn to making sure their children understood that life would provide us with challenges, but we have to prevail and stay strong moving forward.
English isn’t my dad’s first language, and he had received no formal education in school or college. Yet – this has not discouraged him from managing businesses and supporting his family. If anything, his work ethic taught me how important it is not to be afraid to keep going. My dad was very much a driver in encouraging his daughters to go to school, get good grades, and focus on studying – because no one would ever take away our education. As an Iranian immigrant, my dad made sure all three of his girls received the education he believed they deserved. I have always wanted to make him proud of “our” accomplishments.
As the oldest of three girls to my parents, it added pressure to be a robust role model to my little sisters. I wanted them to be proud of me – both my parents and sisters. I needed to show them that success by focusing on my professional career, even when challenging. I think this has all contributed to my work ethic.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I was born and raised in Miami, FL, to Iranian and German parents. It was during my undergraduate studies at the University of Miami (FL) that I took an opportunity to intern at the Office of the Superintendent at Miami-Dade County Public Schools. During that experience, I realized I wanted to focus my interest and professional career on education issues. I was already applying to law school and had to quickly shift all my efforts to add a master’s degree program plan. Long story short – I ended up at the University of Texas at Austin to get my master’s in Education Policy and Public Affairs.
At UT Austin, I wanted to immerse myself in the political beast of education. I worked for very little pay and long hours inside the pink dome (Capitol), learning about previous legislation and its impact on students. I loved learning about innovation and opportunities created to benefit all kinds of students. I eventually landed great opportunities with the Governor’s office and later a state Senator. I truly enjoyed my time – understanding the complexities of the process and developing balanced approaches to bi-partisan agreements. I genuinely believe my ability to see all perspectives of arguments comes from policy work – which I have applied to my future professional roles.
I briefly left the Capitol for regulatory work under the Texas Education Agency. Then, with the support and leadership of district superintendents and charter school CEOs, I launched a non-profit known as the District Charter Alliance (DCA). DCA was an incredible opportunity to support and highlight education issues with both charters and districts working together in support – specifically under district-charter partnerships.
After five years with DCA, a move to the DFW region, and the survival of 2020, I wanted to focus my education interests on the classroom teacher. When the opportunity came forward with Teach For America, I found the opportunity to support the biggest driver of student success – the classroom teacher. TFA Dallas Fort Worth puts over 130 teachers into the classroom within the metroplex, all working to support our mission of “one day.” “One Day” all students in our nation will receive a high-quality education.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, I believe three of the most impactful qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge in my journey are attributed to negotiating well, time, and goal setting. I believe it is essential to understand everyone’s viewpoint, approach, and needs to move forward in negotiation. A lot of this I learned from my time in the Capitol: we cannot get anything accomplished without common ground. Always having the ability to see everyone’s perspective is vital for success. Understanding time and time management is also crucial for balancing both life and professional worlds and, with that, prioritizing your time to what matters to you most. Lastly, I think setting goals for yourself in each area allows you to set those priorities you need time for. It also allows you to keep track of your progress and hold yourself accountable for what you set yourself to do.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
At Teach For America Dallas-Fort Worth, we have established a 2030 goal. In 2019, our organization began a comprehensive strategic planning process that landed us on an org-wide-impact goal. We aim to have twice as many children in the communities where we work reach key college and career readiness milestones, indicating they are on a path to economic mobility and a future filled with possibility. When we established this goal, I don’t think anyone knew what 2020 would bring. Like other education-related organizations – we went into survival mode – and hyperfocus our efforts on communities we believed needed our support. We have six years to go and a lot of work, but we are committed more than ever to achieving this goal for the benefit of our region. We believe that college, career, and military readiness is the most critical metric for our community’s success, and we want to focus on this. In Dallas, we have made major improvements in education, but we are still lagging in 2 and 4-year degrees, which is why CCMR is important to focus on. My major challenge right now is waking up each day knowing that this is what we need to focus on, and we believe this will create the positive impact our communities need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.teachforamerica.org/dallas-fort-worth#about-us
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bibiyasminkatsev/
Image Credits
Someone on the TFA team will send pictures.
