Engaging With Empathy: Educating In and Out of the Classroom

Temple was the first university Antonio Romero, EDU ’10, ever knew about, thanks to a giant Temple “T” billboard down Cecil B. Moore Avenue when he was younger. His dad used to drive the bus, pointing the sign out to him, telling him he could aim to go there someday. The two would also watch Temple basketball together, continuing to pique his interest in the school. When it came time to pick a college in 2004, Antonio already knew Temple was the right choice. The flexibility, especially in allowing him to work a full-time job and still go to class, was a huge benefit. “Temple’s mission toward affordability and access really afforded me a great opportunity.”

Antonio always knew he wanted to be an educator. He started teaching fifth grade in his last year at Temple at 19th and Cecil B. Moore Ave., and then full-time at Antonia Pantoja Charter School right after graduation. He taught for several years, loving the education field, but he wanted to do even more. He wanted to use the skills he’d gotten through his Temple experience and transfer them to the outside world. In 2014, he became a community organizer with Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM), where he ventured into community development.

After two years at APM, a Temple professor he knew recommended a job in the Mayor’s Office of Education as a community schools coordinator. It was a natural fit for Antonio, with one of his major accomplishments helping to develop the community school strategy at Kensington Health Sciences Academy. It was a perfect marriage of education and community development. “I wanted to have a broader reach in the city and broaden my impact; I wanted to express to students all the wealth of opportunities that they have at their fingertips, and how worthy they are to explore those.”

With five years under his belt at the Mayor’s Office of Education, he found himself unexpectedly returning to the nest as the associate director of diversity initiatives and community relations in Admissions, which he felt was a natural progression. The position is heavy on recruitment throughout the city, carving out different pathways with schools and building relationships so young people feel seen by Temple. He works in tandem with the rest of the admissions office and other departments around the university to create experiences so students can engage with fellow students, professors and the campus. He relishes being back in the nest, adding, “It’s just been beautiful to be able to welcome people to this campus.”

By 2022, Antonio had also spent years becoming an integral part of community organizing in his local neighborhoods; it was time to take the next step. He was elected a committee person in the city’s 20th Ward. Philadelphia is one of the few cities that still has a ward system; each council district is broken into wards, and those wards have ward leaders. The leaders work with ward committees whose job is to increase voter turnout and work with voters so they have all the vital information they need. Antonio further got involved, assisting his friend Andres Celin’s campaign for city council in the 7th District. He and Celin have known each other for years, dating back to their days of community organizing in Kensington.

After over a decade of educating people in a variety of ways, it was a moment of joy and excitement for Antonio, especially considering neighbors are the ones who have the ultimate say in who is deemed a committeeperson. He considers community organizing, and his role as a committeeperson, an excuse to get to know neighbors and connect them to each other. “It’s beautiful to be in front of someone, who may not realize that someone else a block or two away has a similar interest and they haven’t even spoken.”

One of his biggest passions is getting young voters involved in the electoral process. His motto: Try to understand before seeking to be understood. “When you start talking about the issues, and you find something that someone cares about, it’s like, let’s talk more. You see the layers start peeling off.” He spends a great deal of time just trying to understand students and young people where they’re at, presenting them with information they’re connected to, and then showing them the steps needed to get it done. “Always reaching the person first, that’s been my strategy.” He adds that voting is incredibly important to him. “Even if you don’t think you have skin in the game, you do.”

What’s his advice to the young people he sees daily? “Just bet on yourself. Invest in yourself. Delve into the things that you’re interested in.” Devoting that time to exploring more Temple organizations is crucial, and occasionally, exiting your comfort zone. “Just show up to something you have no clue about and see where it leaves you.”

Being an alumnus of Temple, and especially now working alongside Admissions, he knows the sense of camaraderie it comes with. “Whenever you meet someone from Temple, there’s an automatic, I know you’re going to be gritty. I know you’re going to work and grind it out. It’s that brand of Temple. I might not know anything else about them, but I know that.”

Pennsylvania's upcoming general election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Visit Phila.gov's elections website to register to vote, find your polling place, check your voter registration status, and view the candidates and ballot questions. You can also find information for all of Pennsylvania at Vote.PA.gov.