From Teacher to Leader: Francheska’s Journey at UCP of Central Florida

UCP Agency
Mar 4
2 min read

Francheska Morales Erazo joined UCP in August 2018 as a Paraprofessional in a 5th-grade classroom while finishing her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Childhood Education through Interamericana University of Puerto Rico. Even though her studies focused on General Education, she quickly fell in love with UCP’s inclusive, mission-driven community. What started as a job while completing her degree soon became something bigger—a place where she could see herself building a future.

Stepping Into Leadership

After graduating, Francheska was given the opportunity to lead her own inclusion classroom. Over the next five years, she taught grades 2 through 5, growing more confident in her practice and deepening her passion for serving students of all abilities. Each year brought new lessons, new challenges, and new opportunities to lead in ways she hadn’t imagined when she first started.

Last year, Francheska was promoted to Instructional Coach through UCP’s Teacher to Leader Cohort, a leadership development experience designed to help educators expand their impact beyond their own classrooms while continuing to support students directly.

Today, she proudly serves as Instructional Coach at UCP Osceola, where she partners with teachers, strengthens instruction, and helps drive campus-wide success.

What Makes Growth at UCP Different?

The Teacher to Leader Cohort isn’t just about earning a new title—it’s about real growth. Through the cohort, Francheska has shadowed exemplary colleagues, received personalized mentorship aligned to her goals, and participated in both individual and group leadership meetings that pushed her thinking and clarified her role. She worked closely with her cohort representative to design action steps aligned with her vision for growth, and she led an Action Research project to implement communication boards to better support student communication on campus. This year, she was even selected as a model leader for others to observe—opening her work so colleagues could see differentiation, intervention, and instructional modeling in action and explore their own leadership pathways.

Professional Development That Inspires

As part of the Teacher to Leader Cohort, Francheska has attended nationally recognized conferences, including ASCD, Get Your Teach On, and Ron Clark Academy. These experiences didn’t just add to her résumé—they reignited her passion and broadened her perspective. Learning alongside educators from across the country allowed her to bring fresh strategies, innovative ideas, and renewed energy back to her campus.

UCP’s investment in professional development shows a genuine commitment to growing leaders from within, because when educators are supported, students feel the difference.

Continuing the Journey

Recently, Francheska took another step forward by enrolling at Grand Canyon University to pursue her Master of Education in Educational Administration. In her words:

I love UCP and the opportunities it provides. I am very excited to see where this journey leads as I continue to grow and complete my master’s program.

Francheska’s story is a reminder that at UCP, growth isn’t just possible—it’s encouraged, supported, and celebrated. When you join a mission-driven organization that believes in developing its people, you’re not just stepping into a role. You’re stepping into a pathway.