Success looks different for every Fellow

(and every Fellow is dang successful)

Fellows impact individuals during their fellowship, and after

In the first year of their Fellowship, Zanaib Alrashid taught XX students who were behind in reading and Title 1 eligible, made literacy a joyful experience to dozens of families at farmers market events, after-school classes, and family literacy events in Berkeley and Salinas.

Keep curiosity alive

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Keep curiosity alive 〰️

In her two years as a Fellow, Kiku Kumara turned a passion for teaching and great instincts into being able to lead a group of 18 wiggly kids under 9 years old through a morphology game with patience and playfulness. One highlight of Kiku’s experience was receiving a parent’s note that their middle-schooler moved out of the “red” (below the benchmark in reading) for the first time in his school career. They’re now a teaching assistant and planning to pursue a credential.

It has been such a great experience working at Words in the Wild. I feel lucky to be introduced to education through this organization, since it has shown me a valuable and unique perspective on teaching….I appreciate all the support, insight, and guidance that you and everyone at Words in the Wild have given me. Especially since it led me to understanding what I want to do with my career!

Thank you so much for a wonderful fellowship experience, and I definitely plan to keep in touch throughout my teaching journey!""

Fellows conduct research studies related to their fellowship, and are sharing that work broadly in national conferences

  1. Lindi Shepard led a research project on the impact of nature journaling and presented the findings at the Council for Exceptional Children in Baltimore, MD in March of 2025. She then turned her research into a repeatable lesson plan and rubric to help teachers implement her work. Lindi, Dr. Filippini, and naturalist Ryan Nepomuceno will present updates to this research at NAAEE conference presentation in October 2025.

III. Fellows weave their fellowship experience and graduate work together

  1. During her time as a Words in the Wild Teaching Fellow, Paige Harrington-Clark researched the common practice of using word walls in the classroom and learned about how building “phoneme walls” can benefit students as they learn to decode and encode. Check out the full report.

  2. Leah Mills tested the Real Script handwriting method to build her student’s confidence and skill in writing by hand. Her research turned into key takeaways to help other educators find success in the method, and as a huge win: her students shifted from having negative feelings about writing to neutral and positive feelings. 

IV. Fellows share their fellowship expertise to the broader community 

  1. In collaboration with Bmore art and The Peale’s exhibition he Future of Here: A Glimpse of a River Culture to Come, Lindi Shephard led a nature journaling workshop at Jones Falls. 

She also was invited to discuss her research on the impact of nature journaling with John Muir Laws. Check it out:

<<VIDEO>>


Meet our teaching fellow alumni

  • Zainab Alrashid

    TEACHING FELLOW 2024 - 2025

    Zainab is a “teaching ecologist” who came to WitW to explore her passion for interdisciplinary approaches to the sciences after earning her BA in Biology from Mills College. Following her one-year fellowship, she joined a wildlife biology study as a research assistant — in South Africa! Zainab found that her training as an educator in our program gave her skills that apply to science communication. She looks forward to continuing to explore the intersection of her biology undergraduate degree, her expertise in reading, and her enthusiasm for making the outdoors accessible.

  • Paige Harrington Clark

    TEACHING FELLOW 2022 - 2023

    Paige first joined Words in the Wild as a volunteer supporting remote WordLab in 2020, which influenced her decision to pursue a reading specialization through her graduate studies. After completing a 1-year teaching fellowship with Words in the Wild while completing her credential and a master’s degree in reading, Paige accepted a full-time position teaching kindergarten with SFUSD and continues to support both teachers and students by creating joyful, inclusive learning communities. She holds an MA in Teaching Reading at the University of San Francisco.

  • Bethany Hilliard

    TEACHING FELLOW 2022

    Bethany came to Words in the Wild with over 15 years of teaching experience in general and special education classrooms (and was a student of Dr. Filippini’s at San Francisco State). She wanted to deeper her knowledge of Structured Word Inquiry and better supporting students with dyslexia in the classroom. as a Learning Specialist at a Bay Area school, where she continues to use her experience and knowledge gained as a Fellow to make a difference in students' lives. She holds a BA from Azusa Pacific University, Psychology, and an MA from San Francisco State University in Special Education.

  • Nathalie Hites

    TEACHING FELLOW 2023 - 2025

    Nathalie generously shared her 20 years of experience as a Montessori guide (teacher), administrator, and parent as an unofficial advisor to our team. Seeking more training in dyslexia and reading disabilities, she joined Words in the Wild as a Teaching Fellow specializing in neurodiversity and continued for a third year as a Teacher in Residence. Now, Nathalie has returned full-time to the Montessori classroom, equipped with new tools and insights, and mentoring incoming Teaching Fellows. She holds a BS in Biology and MS in Zoology from Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.

  • Ella Holton-McCoy

    TEACHING FELLOW 2019 - 2021

    After completing a 2-year teaching fellowship with Words in the Wild in 2021, Ella helped lay the foundation for our cycle of educator and student support (the Waterfall Method of Mentoring) as a Words in the Wild Learning Specialist. She currently supports students and families as an Educational Therapist and Executive Function Coach, incorporating her knowledge of special education, neuroscience, strengths-based teaching practices, and mindfulness to create individualized learning pathways. She holds a BS in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Literacy and a focus in Special Education from San Diego State University, and an MA in Educational Therapy from Holy Names University.

  • Kiku Kumara

    TEACHING FELLOW 2023 - 2025

    Kiku joined Words in the Wild with little classroom experience but a deep passion for learning and growth, holding a BA in Environmental Studies from San Francisco State University. Their belief that every student holds unique brilliance made them a beloved part of our learning community. As a 2-year fellowship graduate, Kiku was inspired to pursue a career in teaching and is now a full-time 5th grade teaching assistant! We could not be more proud and are so excited for the many lives Kiku will go on to change in their future.

  • Leah Mills

    TEACHING FELLOW 2021 - 2023

    After completing her Fellowship, Leah joined Words in the Wild as a full-time learning specialist, supporting students through small-group and individual reading & writing intervention. She is passionate about making education accessible and engaging to all students and incorporating their strengths and interests into their learning. She holds a BA in Deaf Studies with a concentration in Education from CSU Northridge, and an MA in Education Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University. She volunteered as a tutor and assistant teacher at the California School for the Deaf and is fluent in American Sign Language, which she frequently incorporates in her work with students.

  • Lindi Shepard

    TEACHING FELLOW 2020 - 2022

    When Lindi joined Words in the Wild in 2020, the world was shutting down as she was transitioning from the classroom to graduate studies. After over a decade of teaching, she was eager to learn how to support teachers in bringing research-based practices to the classroom and was particularly drawn to Words in the Wild’s nature-based approach. She currently serves as Words in the Wild’s Fellowship Director (we’re so excited to share that info!) while pursuing her PhD in Education at Johns Hopkins University where she conducts research at the intersection of the learning sciences and environmental education. She holds a BS in Special Education from the University of Georgia, and an MA in Cognitive Science in Education from Columbia University.