Monique Paes is a Special Education and Literacy Intervention teacher for Bronx River High School in New York City. Monique's journey into the world of Esports was unconventional but one of the best steps she took towards creating an inclusive community of like-minded student gamers at her school. She learned about the benefits of how creating an Esports team helped foster student's social-emotional skills as well as their communication skills while creating a sense of pride and belonging for those who don't fit into the traditional "sports" mold. Today, her school's teams in Valorant, Rocket League and Smash Bro's are approaching their 4th year and student's are always enthusiastic to learn that there is a place for them in school where they can just be kids and have fun while learning.