Why I Too Joined ESTE Leverage
Jessica and her daughters
With the first quarter of 2023 behind us, ESTE® Leverage is well on its way to building a stellar team to carry us through the end of the year and bring to fruition the ESTE commitment to our middle-school girls. With that said, ESTE is proud to introduce you to Jessica Slagle, Family Advocate & Liaison.
Jessica’s career extends over 10 years in the educational field. As a previous early childhood special educator, Jessica worked with young learners with autism and other learning disabilities. She has extensive experience conducting assessments with various children, using her findings to create support systems for each of her students. In addition, Jessica brings a passion and commitment to supporting the families of the students with whom she works. She prides herself on the cohesive relationships she developed with each family that came into her classroom. Her experience and expertise allowed her to develop strong, supportive, and trusting relationships across the family unit that ultimately benefited the student in their educational endeavors.
Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development and a California early childhood special education teaching credential from Sacramento State University. She also holds a Master of Education in Advanced Studies in Special Education from Concordia University.
Jessica first joined our CEO, Terrisa Duenas, as an executive assistant and quickly expanded her role and responsibility as the ESTE® Leverage Family Advocate & Liaison. Jessica looks forward to utilizing her experience and bringing her passion in support of the families of ESTE® Leverage.
To help you get to know our ESTE Team a bit better, we asked them a set of questions. Similar to our CEO, advisors, and CPO, we asked Jessica, “How does ESTE® Leverage inspire you?” Her response?
ESTE® Leverage inspires me in so many ways! I am truly inspired by the knowledge and empowerment gained through the assessment process, allowing young women and moms to understand and acknowledge themselves at a deeper level. I look forward to how each family uses this insight to create opportunities to learn new skills and grow into fulfilling careers, regardless of their gender.
When asked what major factor or factors contributed to where she is today, Jessica responded:
I have always had a passion for helping people, particularly children. From a young age I knew I wanted to work with children in various capacities. I held onto that dream through high school, and into college, not truly knowing which direction to take. In my second year, I was hired at a job working with children with autism in their homes. This experience opened the door for me, and I knew from there I was going to expand my skill set to support children in a much larger capacity.
And then we asked Jessica “What message would you tell your middle-school self” to which she responded:
I would tell my middle school self that my goals, dreams, and aspirations are exactly that, mine. They are owned by me and don’t require approval from anyone in my circle. It is okay to be unapologetically yourself.
If not already on this journey with us, I hope you are considering joining us! We are excited about the opportunity to work with you and help you stand in your ESTE Superpower!
ESTE® Leverage - founded in the belief that Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, and Engineering are innate in each of us - grounded in the science of learning & assessment – dedicated to the realized potential in every individual.