Q&A

How did being a TFA corps member impact your life?

Teach For America impacted my life by giving me a purpose. Any person with any level of privilege has an opportunity. What they do with it determines whether or not they have utilized that privilege to help others. I have committed the entirety of my life to providing opportunities for low-income families. TFA taught me that we can beat poverty in this country and education is our best weapon of choice. I taught with TFA because I believe every child deserves an opportunity to attain an excellent education.

How do you use the skills you developed in the corps in your current role?

In my job, I work a lot with legislators who are asked to vote on policy issues they may not have a great depth of knowledge on. I essentially have to put together 10-15 minute lesson plans to explain the issue, why it matters, and how it would benefit them to vote for it. This is essentially the format I used while teaching. When presenting to an entire caucus, testifying in front of a committee, or meeting with a legislator one-on-one, I feel comfortable because it was what I did as a teacher. Probably the most important is the experience. Very few legislators and policymakers have actually taught in a classroom. The stories about my students, the importance of classroom educators, and the necessity of strong school leadership are topics I can speak to directly.   

How have you utilized the TFA network after the corps?

The best aspect of the Teach For America network is the Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) organization. They provide the tools and resources to develop you as a public advocacy and policy leader. That has been essential for my development.