“Talent is abundant in this city, but access to opportunity is not.”
August Hamilton, Program Director for education
As the newest member of Houston Endowment’s team, August oversees our education strategy, collaborating with community stakeholders across three priorities: Effective Educators, Postsecondary Success, and Statewide Advocacy.
Here, he shares how his deep experience in education and love of the city, will help him open opportunities for all of Houston’s students.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m originally from New Jersey, and I spent my time there as a kid. I ended up going to college at Princeton University, and after that, I became a Teach for America Corps member.
I’ve been in Houston about 15 years, and I’ve really loved it. I met my wife here. I have a son and a second son on the way. Houston’s been great to me, and this is a great opportunity to give back to this great city.
What has your time in education been like?
I began my career in education as a Teach for America Corps member, teaching sixth-grade math at Stevenson Middle School in HISD. I worked there for about three years, and during that time I helped to start a nonprofit called EMERGE. The nonprofit was targeted towards helping students from underserved backgrounds gain access to the nation’s top colleges and universities. Given that was such an important part of my own story, it was great to be able to be a part of that organization.
I’ve had the privilege of being able to see education from a variety of different angles: from the classroom, a central office perspective, and how it interacts with nonprofits.
What excites you about this work?
What excites me the most is the chance to be a part of such a storied and integral institution in our community. You have the ability to have a tremendous impact and to do and make change at scale through the work of the endowment.
In the education portfolio, I’m really excited about the timing of me being able to start here.
When we think about our two portfolios—Effective Educators, in which we’re focused on building strong pathways to enable every teacher in the region to get certified, as well as Postsecondary Success, which is focused on ensuring every student graduates with a credential of value—the timing aligns well for us to be able to bolster those systems, help our partners and grantees, and make sure that every kid graduates with the opportunity to attend college, a career-readiness program, or whatever unique path best fits what their aspirations are for their future.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Becoming a father has been such a transformative part of my life. It’s changed the way that I see education. It’s changed my sense of compassion, and it’s done so much for me personally. It gives me hope and a conviction about the work we’re doing. I want to make sure that my son can enter the public education systems in this region and has the opportunity to be successful.
Why are you passionate about this work?
My passion for this work has always been a belief in the power of the children of this city. I like to say that talent is abundant in this city, but access to opportunity is not. As a teacher and a district administrator, I’ve had the opportunity to be able to have impact within the districts that I’ve served, but to be able to have it at scale at an institution like the Endowment, which is focused across our entire region, is really powerful.
In your opinion, what makes Houston great?
What I think makes Houston a great city is its entrepreneurial spirit. Houston’s a city that if you have a great idea, if you’re willing to hustle and work hard, you can find the resources and you can find the people to make it happen. And I think that’s what’s powerful about this city, and that’s why I think we can continue to thrive. It’s that entrepreneurial spirit.
What do you think Houston needs more of?
I think we need more collaboration between sectors. I think about how the city comes together and rallies behind the Astros when the team is in the playoffs, and how we could use that same unification across the education sector. Given the talent, the resources, and the people we have in the city, we could accomplish great things from an educational perspective.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Seek progress, not perfection, and continue to try to get better every single day.
What advice would you give to future leaders?
Identify your purpose and make sure that you’re leaning into that as kind of the source of the energy that drives you in your work. If you’re rooted in purpose, you’ll always have that heart of service, and you’ll always be able to be resilient in the face of challenges and adversity.
What is your superpower?
I would say my superpower is my optimism. I have this eternal optimism and sense of hope in a field like education, where oftentimes challenges can seem overwhelming and things may not always seem to go your way.
I’m optimistic that we can do better for kids, we can do better for the young adults in this city. And it’s possible when we work together.
What else should we know about you?
I come to this work with a sense of humility, and I’m here to serve. I want our grantees to know that I’m here to work alongside of them, and I’m here to mutually accomplish what we want for this city, which is better educational outcomes.
Now for the lightning round…
| Orbit or Toro? | Toro |
| 610 or 45.? | That’s a hard one. 610. |
| Toll way or take your time? Toll way. | Toll way |
| Ninfa’s or El Tiempo? | El Tiempo because they’re within walking distance from my house. |
| Donuts or kolaches? Kolaches. | Kolaches. |
| Regular ketchup or spicy ketchup? | Whataburger spicy ketchup. |
| IAH or Hobby? | It’s Hobby for me. |
| Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: rodeo or concerts? | I love seeing the kids do mutton busting before the rodeo events, but I’m a concert person. |
| Dining room or patio? | Houston’s an outdoor city. You gotta be outside. |
| Day at the beach or night at the museum? | Day at the beach. I’m a big beach person. |