Q&A

What’s one memorable story from your time in the corps?

My first year in the corps, I got appendicitis and was stuck in the hospital for a while. I didn’t have any family in Texas, so I was feeling lonely and in pain. While there, I received a letter from one of my students that said she knew that I was probably feeling alone. She told me that I could consider her a part of my family and that she was there for me. It really helped me get through that experience.

What impact did you make in the classroom?

I challenged my students to see science in a new light. I taught them to think about the world in ways they never had before, and I hopefully empowered them to affect the world in ways they never dreamed possible.

How has your TFA experience influenced or affected your career path?

My TFA experience made me so much more capable of actually working in social entrepreneurship, especially in terms of being able to access the people and resources that I need to launch ventures that can have an impact on my neighborhood, and even on my city and state.

How has the network of TFA corps members and alumni, who you interacted with and built, shaped your career path?

I can say that my career as a nonprofit founder would probably never have happened if it weren’t for the TFA alumni in my network. I went particularly to one member of the TFA network who lives in my community and who had recently founded a nonprofit organization of his own. He helped me navigate the processes and achieve milestones along the way.