About Emerging Leaders Community

ArizonaLEND trainee, Mark Marcos, EdD, BCSE, is a Special Education teacher on the Tohono O’odham Nation in Sells, Arizona. He first began his teaching career in the Philippines nine years ago where he served in Last Mile Schools. Last Mile Schools are located in geographically isolated or remote areas, as Dr. Marcos can attest, “reaching my students was not always easy—there were days I crossed rivers on a bicycle, rode a carabao cart, or walked barefoot just to get to the classroom” — experiences he says "shaped my resilience and deepened my commitment to education and to the students who depend on it the most." 

ID: A group of players—wearing matching blue “Babiquivari Warriors” jerseys—are posing together with medals around their necks, suggesting they’ve just competed in (and likely done well at) a tournament. They’re holding a large banner that reads “Babiquivari Warriors – Sells, Arizona,” along with words like “Skill • Courage • Share,” which aligns with the values of the Special Olympics—also visible on the backdrop behind them.

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Quinn Oteman (MN LEND 2020-21) is a child welfare researcher at the U of M Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, where he evaluates agencies such as the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery and gathers feedback from families receiving services. More