Faith Sherrill
At Herd Strategies, we believe it is imperative for information to be equitable and accessible to all. Throughout the month of September, we will be using our platforms to discuss how #InfoIsPower by highlighting community leaders who use their voices to teach and empower others. This week’s feature is Faith Sherrill, a Black athlete and educator who acts upon the opportunity to impact the next generation through representation.
Faith’s passion for helping children achieve their full potential academically and athletically dates back to before she was an educator. Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, she earned her degree in elementary education at Indiana University Bloomington while on a full athletics scholarship. She threw shot put, discus, hammer and weight throughout her collegiate career, earning significant athletic achievements. Since graduating and moving to Indianapolis, she has led a decorated teaching career for over a decade and currently teaches kindergarten at North Wayne Elementary School. Faith also coaches track and field and manages a tutoring service that provides educational enrichment services for children ages 3-8.
Utilizing her understanding of how young minds work, Faith strives to transform the lives of children through teaching and joining forces with parents to ensure student success. She embraces her purpose as a role model for many of her students. “As a Black educator that isn’t always represented in many schools across the country, I recognized that students can’t be what they can’t see,” she said. She shared how much she looked up to and connected with Black teachers throughout her own education. “Those interactions made me want to be like them and teach our future leaders,” she noted.
Faith is dedicated to sharing information in a way that empowers her students, especially her students of color. She wants the young people in her classroom to both be represented and see themselves in a positive light, so she makes a point to celebrate Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Culture Fridays. “I want them to learn about people they can aspire to be and people that look like them,” she said. Faith also uses teaching strategies and activities that build self-esteem and self-confidence. “I greet, acknowledge and address my students as beautiful and handsome. I want them to subconsciously know they are beautiful at their core and can accomplish anything they set their mind to do,” she shared.
Sometimes, Faith has found that sharing her experience and vision can cause others discomfort. “Being in the minority of my peers sometimes has challenges due to different cultural norms,” she said. However, she sees this as a way to help enlighten those around her. At the end of the day, Faith strives to not worry about what others think, as it takes focus and energy away from her students. “Do what makes you happy,” she said. “Stay true to yourself!”
To learn more about Faith and her work, you can follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook. Keep up with her classroom on Instagram and Twitter.
