Trinity Magazine: Fall 2006
Amina Pleasant-Bey �04
By Jasmine Leonard �02
 Amina Pleasant-Bey
�04 was a scholar-athlete at Trinity and to all those who knew her,
she embodied a genuine spirit of participation. She graduated with a
degree in computer science and mathematics and today is putting her
degree to work just a few miles from Trinity at the Washington
Mathematics Science Technology Public Charter High School (WMST) in
Northeast, D.C.
Pleasant-Bey always knew she wanted to be a teacher, but delayed
pursing a job in the field because, as she stated with her
characteristic chuckle and smile, �I wanted to make some money
first! I realized even then that teachers are often underpaid and
undervalued.� After working at a law firm for a year, Pleasant-Bey
became disillusioned with the field of computer technology and knew
it was time to make a change. Still unsure about her next step,
Pleasant-Bey took some time off to visit her �big sister� Bridget
Shanahan �02, who was a Peace Corps volunteer working in southern
Africa.
The trip was a life-changing experience which made Pleasant-Bey
realize that she could no longer delay her teaching career. �It was
an awakening experience to see the lack of resources and lack of
education the average person had there.� Indeed, children as young
as ten years old were expected to work if their parents didn�t have
the means to send them to school. In Africa, she observed the
seriousness with which the children in the Kingdom of Lesotho and
the Republic of South Africa pursued their education. And, she
realized how often Americans take their education for granted. She
was �inspired to come home and try to make a difference in my local
community.�
Pleasant-Bey returned to D.C. determined to share her �newfound
global view of education with American students and to promote
academic rigor within the local school system.� At the mathematics
charter school, Pleasant-Bey found a partner in that vision. WMST�s
mission is to �offer a rigorous, standards-based, college
preparatory education which will prepare young people in the
District with an interest in math, science and technology for
success in work and life.� Pleasant-Bey teaches geometry and SAT
math preparation to students in grades 9-12.
While immensely satisfying, Pleasant-Bey�s work is also relentlessly
challenging. Her teenage high school students are often balancing
the adult responsibilities of parenthood or full-time jobs with
their school work � while desperately holding fast to the dream of
attaining a college degree. Pleasant-Bey counters her students� talk
of �fast money� or a sense of hopelessness by using herself as a
role model and support system. �I�m young. I look like my students
and share a similar background. I believe that makes a difference.
I�m a living example that they can make it.�
In order to promote student success, Pleasant-Bey gives all students
her personal phone number so they can reach her anytime and to show
them she really cares. She also proposed and implemented an
after-school study hall to provide students with a quiet environment
to complete their homework.
Pleasant-Bey looks forward to working within the D.C. public school
system for years to come and now knows that �becoming a teacher is
one of the best ways to use the degree that I earned at Trinity.�
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from the Classroom
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