Teaching illuminates opportunities. Kamaria Swan knows that firsthand. As a Houston 2013 Teach For America corps member who spent a total of six years in the classroom, she discovered many obstacles her students faced—and decided to do something about it. The first discovery was the stark amount of time students spent unchallenged during the summer. Kamaria created a summer enrichment program, helping her young students build interpersonal skills that would serve them well throughout life. The other discovery, and one that propels her professional aspirations today, was the lack of characters of color in young adult books. As a natural-born writer, Kamaria has taken it upon herself to write diverse characters into existence so that her students can see anything is possible.

• Corps Region and Year: Houston 2013 
• Grade and Subject Taught: Elementary reading
• Current Sector: business
• Major/Alma Mater: Bachelor of Arts in English from Howard University

In what ways were you able to support your students or community beyond the classroom?

After completing the corps, I decided to launch a summer camp called “A Little Lady” to teach my female students social skills. I wanted them to have something that was both fun and enriching over the summer break. Several of my TFA friends joined us as guest teachers, sharing their own talents with my summer camp crew. 

One of my closest TFA colleagues became our cheer coach, another was our dance coach, and another did mock interviews for my students after I taught them about career readiness. The program was so successful that it branched into a year-long after school program. I managed it for five-plus years and opened it up to other school-aged girls in our community. I became a mentor to students who weren’t even enrolled at my school, which helped me enhance my reach. I also gained valuable skills in operating an organization, such as business, marketing, and fundraising.

What are some ways you are working toward making a positive difference today? 

One of the challenges I faced during my corps years was access to diverse literature. Of course, the publishing industry is lacking in diversity as it is, but on top of that, the schools we work in are often underfunded, which means there’s an even smaller chance that we’ll be provided with diverse resources. 

While I was in the classroom, I spent a lot of time fundraising so that I could purchase sets of books featuring characters of color. Now that I’m no longer in the classroom, I’m working toward making a difference in a new way. I am writing a middle-grade novel much like something I would have wanted to read with my class back then. I hope to become a published author of diverse middle-grade literature soon!

 

How did hiring managers respond to your Teach For America affiliation? 

After teaching for six years, I was ready to return to my original passion: writing. I am now a marketing copywriter for an online higher education program management company. One of the managers who interviewed me was a TFA alum, which, I’m sure helped boost my application. She knew that my experience in the corps would serve as a great background in writing for the academic world. I’ve actually had that experience several times. Teach for America alumni are in leadership roles in every industry. It’s not rare to find an alum eager to help you make a career transition at any company you’re looking to join after your teaching commitment ends.

What impact did the TFA community have on your life and career?

One of my fondest memories is meeting up with fellow Houston corps members to attend the first Black Lives Matter meeting in 2014. We road-tripped to Ferguson, Missouri, and back, building a bond based on our shared value of equity. The people I have met through Teach for America have not only become lifelong friends, they have also become valuable connections for my career. 

The people I started teaching with are now in so many different industries. Of course, I have corps member friends who are still in education: principals, education consultants, teacher coaches, and some who are still in the classroom. But some of my closest TFA friends are in completely different fields. I have a friend in tech recruiting. I even have a TFA friend who’s now a beauty influencer with tens of thousands of followers. 

I always have someone to turn to when I need a reference, recommendation, or even tips on navigating new career markets. The network I built during my corps commitment has helped make my career journey so much smoother.