April Johnston is Navajo from Gallup, New Mexico, and Anishinaabe of the Sagkeeng First Nation. She taught on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for five years, former Head of School (Principal) at The Pine Ridge Girls’ School, and current Managing Director, Leadership Development for Teach for America-South Dakota. She graduated from Santa Fe Indian School and continued her educational journey by receiving her BA from Columbia University. After graduating, she became a middle school teacher at Porcupine Day School, home of the Oglala Lakota peoples in Pine Ridge Reservation, SD. She then received her MA in education administration from University of South Dakota and is currently in her Ed Specialist Degree at University of South Dakota. Now a mother, April works alongside first and second year teachers, as Head of Program, and now MD of Leadership Development on the Teach for America South Dakota Team.
“Our first teacher is our own heart” -unknown