Teach For America alum Daniel Velasco works to make education equitable for multilingual learners.

Q&A

What factors did you weigh when deciding to apply to TFA?

Applying to TFA was not an easy decision. My family encouraged me to pursue a career in a lucrative field, such as banking, due to our financial circumstances. Pursuing a career in education was completely outside what was expected of me. My parents' concern was rooted in their desire for me not to struggle financially in the future.

I decided to apply to TFA when my recruiter walked me through some statistics on the barriers I faced in graduating from college on time. With a better understanding of how unlikely my relative success was, I felt compelled to give back and help change a system that disproportionately prevents those with similar life experiences from succeeding.

Describe your first day of teaching. What struggles did you have to overcome?

My first day of teaching was tough but joyful in so many ways. I welcomed my 28 five-year-olds and spent most of the day going through what it meant to be a student, a teammate, and college-bound. I felt my students deserved an amazing start to their educational journey and worried about whether I would provide an environment conducive to helping them get a solid start. Many of my students had not participated in preschool, so this was their first social experience in school. I worried about meeting my students where they were academically. In short, I was nervous but optimistic about what we could accomplish together.

What would you consider your biggest success as a teacher?

Teaching children how to read and write in Spanish was very special; it’s something that stays with you and hopefully with them forever. We experienced many successes, but my proudest moments included times when a student pushed through a reading level they struggled with, or the look on their faces when blending sounds suddenly turned into reading with enough fluency to understand the meaning of a sentence or story.

What were some major lessons you learned during the corps?

Staying organized, optimistic, and patient despite seemingly insurmountable challenges. I learned first-hand that children and adults learn at different paces. This makes them human, not “advanced” or “remedial.”

How have you utilized the TFA network after the corps?

I’ve participated in various Leadership for Educational Equity trainings and served on several advisory councils (Boston Alumni Council and New York Junior Board). Additionally, whenever moving to a new city, I’ve found ways to reconnect with fellow alums, which has proven critical to understanding the landscape and building a local network.

How did being a corps member impact your career trajectory?

Without TFA, I would not be working in the education sector. Becoming a teacher set me on this career path and gave me my start in this industry.