Ackah makes positive influence on Fredstrom students as paraeducator

November 19, 2024

Anna Ackah is using her extensive medical background to boost the social, emotional and academic health of Fredstrom Elementary School students every day.
 
Ackah is helping local children through her role as a Lincoln Public Schools paraeducator. She works with several students throughout the day and supports them during classroom lessons and activities. She said it is rewarding to have a chance to make a positive impact on the lives of others at school.

“There are so many things I enjoy about working as a para here,” Ackah said. “Knowing that I’m here every day to help a child, work side by side with them, encouraging them and going through the daily things in school with them. It’s such a joy. It’s fulfilling.”

 
Fredstrom Principal Brandi Luber said Ackah spreads that happiness every time she enters the building. She spends a large amount of time with one child in the morning and another student in the afternoon. She and the school’s other paraeducators also pitch in whenever a need arises on campus.
 
“She’s just a light here at Fredstrom,” Luber said. “She really works well with some of our kids who need additional help getting to class and getting their work completed. She builds kids up.”

 
Ackah is one of many education support professionals (ESP) who make major differences for LPS students. The list of ESP positions includes paraeducators, nurses, office professionals, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, tradespeople and technology workers.
 
Luber said Fredstrom’s classroom teachers are grateful for the encouragement and assistance they receive from ESP workers.
 
“They’re all just amazing,” Luber said. “They help our students who need additional support be successful. Our teachers really appreciate all that they do to help out in the classrooms. We couldn’t do it without them.”
 
Ackah grew up in the West African nation of Ghana, which is located on the Gulf of Guinea in between Togo and the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. She excelled in her elementary, middle and high school classes and decided to pursue a medical career. She attended medical school in Ukraine for seven years and returned to Ghana to help patients in her home country.

 
Ackah was a doctor for five years before she and her family relocated to the United States. After spending seven years raising her children, she began searching for a job that could combine her passions of helping people and mentoring students. She found the perfect fit at LPS.
 
“I was hoping to be at a place where I could still be a mom, I could still use the knowledge I’ve acquired in medicine and a place where I can be a good influence,” Ackah said. “When I saw on the LPS website that there was an opening for being a para and helping kids with disabilities, I thought, ‘Oh, this is something I can do and still get to be at home with my kids after school.’”
 
Ackah said she quickly realized that she could apply all of her medical knowledge in the classroom. She said doctors and educators have similar selfless goals of making life better for everyone they meet.
 
“For me, my medical background and being a mom and my values and beliefs, I just see it all in special education. It’s all there,” Ackah said. “I’ll always have my doctorate. No one can take that away from me. But the more important question is, what do you use it for? You just find a place you can connect and use the knowledge you have, and I can connect with special education.
 
“It’s having a heart for humans. It’s the same principle that is used in both medicine and special education.”

 
Ackah said being a paraeducator has strengthened her muscles of patience and compassion. It may take longer for a student to learn a lesson or adapt to their surroundings in a class. Ackah uses her radiant smile to ensure each child feels supported and cared for.
 
“If you’re working with a child who is struggling emotionally, it helps you to become more patient,” Ackah said. “It helps you to think about how to love people. You always love people, but it challenges you to love more because they may process things differently and look at the world differently, so you have to be more patient.”
 
Those skills were on display one morning this fall. A Fredstrom teacher was leading a social studies lesson and asked her class to answer questions and circle important phrases on worksheets. Ackah watched with pride as one student raised his hand to provide valuable input on the class discussion. She later helped him complete all of his assignments at his desk.
 
Ackah encouraged others in Lincoln to consider becoming paraeducators. She said it is rewarding to watch students learn and grow every day.
 
“Just come in and be yourself,” Ackah said. “Bring in your talents and your passions, bring in what you’re good at, the knowledge you’ve acquired. It’s the most powerful way to influence a child. We are all not the same, but I bet a kid is looking to connect with a para or a teacher who notices them. Your talent or your gift is a way to connect with a child and have an influence in their lives.”

If you’re interested in becoming a paraeducator for LPS, visit our website at https://home.lps.org/hr/paraeducator-careers/.

You can also check the LPS careers page at https://home.lps.org/hr/careers/ for our latest job opportunities.

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