Q&A

What led you to apply to Teach For America?

It's important that minorities have the access that they need to proper education. I was fortunate enough to have parents that sought out certain opportunities to ensure that I receive the best education, but I do know that some of my peers did not have those same opportunities. Teach for America has always sought equity in educational experiences for all students. That was really what drew me to the corps, along with the fact that I was young and a minority who had other great supports. I wanted to be that support to other students.

How was the corps a catalyst for your personal transformation?

Initially I joined Teach for America with the hopes of being a great teacher and using that as a stepping stone to possibly pursue other career options. But I was so impacted by the corps. I loved education, and I wouldn't dare think about leaving it. I am currently the STEM program specialist at my school, and even though I'm not directly in the classroom anymore, I'm still impacting my students and teaching them about wonderful opportunities that they can have post-secondary, after high school.

Why is it so important to have people with a STEM background teaching in public schools today?

STEM is the future. The great thing about STEM is that it's new, it's upcoming, it's all around us. A lot of times, we don't really know what our opportunities in STEM are, because we haven't been exposed to it. By being the STEM program specialist, and by being able to connect with other TFA alums and other organizations connected to STEM fields, I'm now tapping into vast new opportunities for our kids.