National Society of Leadership and Success - Dream Support Grant

Suzana Ustabecir is a member of the New Leaders for New Schools Group. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, baking and travel.

As a professional educator with more than 15 years of experience, Suzana Ustabecir is currently serving as the instructional effectiveness specialist for Chicago Public Schools in Chicago, Illinois. Among other professional organizations, Suzana Ustabecir has also been involved with the National Society of Leadership and Success.

The National Society of Leadership and Success was created on the core idea that more can be achieved together than alone. The society provides life-changing lectures given by professional leaders, helping people to define and attain their goals. To help members achieve their goals, the society has established several scholarship and awards programs, such as the Dream Support Grant.

Established to help individuals realize their dreams, the Dream Support Grant provides scholarships of up to $5,000 during each scholarship term. Scholarships are awarded according to the amount requested from the applicant and multiple winners are possible. Scholarship winners are also awarded a certificate of accomplishment and are featured in the society newsletter.

New Leaders Principal Program Shows a Positive Impact

Suzana Ustabecir completed the principal leadership preparation program at National Louis.

Suzana Ustabecir has been involved in the Chicago Public Schools system as a teacher, principal, and administrator since 2001, and she now serves as an instruction effectiveness specialist. Suzana Ustabecir is also involved in New Leaders for New Schools, through which she completed a program in principal leadership preparation in 2008. 

New Leaders for New Schools serves children in the public school system by supporting the principals and teachers who work with them. The nonprofit organization especially focuses on children of color and under-resourced children who may need extra help and attention at school. Seventy-eight percent of the students with whom the graduates go on to work are in poverty, and 87 percent are children of color. 

The organization offers programs for every level of school leadership, and its programs show strong evidence of effectiveness. Within the first year or so, 85 percent of participants in the program see improvement in their students' classroom achievement. Moreover, on average, only about 50 percent of principals tend to stay in their district for longer than three years, while 74 percent of New Leaders graduates tend to stay in their districts that long. These achievements and others have led to the RAND Corporation recognizing the New Leaders principal program as showing strong evidence of positive impact.