Q & A

What would you consider your biggest success as a teacher? What achievement are you most proud of?

My biggest success as a teacher was creating an environment in which students could openly discuss some of the more mature topics we normally keep out of school classrooms. I wanted my classroom to be a starting point for conversations because I knew firsthand the power of processing identity, trauma, worldview, and privilege.

What lessons did you learn in the corps?

I learned that education reform takes a community effort. I heard a principal once say that we as teachers are in students’ lives for a second, relative to everything else. To really affect outcomes in our students’ lives and communities, we need to approach education as the collective effort of all stakeholders in the community.  

What do you do today?

I’m currently pursuing a post-baccalaureate and am looking to continue into a career in adolescent medicine. As I am working on my post-baccalaureate, I am taking every opportunity to explore how our school communities need professionals from the medical community to serve.

How has TFA prepared you skill-wise for these challenges?

I think the most important skill that was uniquely developed by my time in the corps was the ability to reframe conflicts and productively engage with individuals whose goals are contrary to your own.

Is there something about being a corps member that uniquely prepared you to be a leader?

Working with adolescents is an exercise in finesse, positive re-framing, resilience, and patience. It forced me to mature in ways very different from my peers who went directly to graduate school or worked in office environments.