Teacher, Coach at Austin High School
Graduation Year: 2011
Degree: Master’s in Education in Sports Management
“I’ve always had a heart for helping communities that are under-funded, communities that maybe don’t receive as much attention, and for working with youth and students. I applied [to the portfolio program] because I wanted to open to doors and see if the nonprofit pathway was going to be something I wanted to pursue as a career.
Fundraising for the Public and Nonprofit Sector, taught by Dr. David Eaton, has actually been one of the most applicable classes that I took. As a teacher, there are always opportunities that pop up and I have colleagues who get overwhelmed by the large grant applications and going through the process. With Dr. Eaton, we filled out mock grant applications and went through the process of searching for them with databases, so it doesn’t seem like a daunting task for me now. I know I have to show the need, how I’m going to measure impact, this is where I’ll put in the financial worksheet and budget for how the money will be used. They ask how you’ll make the grant sustainable, and I know all about this because they told us in the class you have to show how it’s not just a one-time thing but that you can make a lasting impact. I’ve written three grants, and every time I’ve been awarded the money.
The second class I took was Principles and Practices of Effective Leadership with Howard Prince. It’s been good as a teacher and as a department chair, leading a group of teachers, to understand different management styles. Being a leader has a lot to do with serving others and being able to listen; those were two things I learned from that course. Whenever you realize that you’re here to serve the students or community and you have that servant leadership mindset, you don’t forget your why – your why is the kids and that you’re making an impact on their future.”
While in the portfolio program, Nick completed an internship with Total City Sports (now under the For the City network of programs), a nonprofit sports organization that provided club volleyball, baseball, and football camps for low-income students on the East side of Austin. He also volunteered with AISD as a tutor and role model at Northeast High School and Navarro High School.
Nick Lebo currently coaches and teaches at Austin High School. Learn more about the Practicum in Business Management course he teaches and the Center's first high school intern here.