When you think about your current career, what experiences before you joined Teach For America informed where you are today?

Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley created a very narrow view of my perception. It wasn’t until I spoke with a Teach For America recruiter who opened my eyes to the inequalities I and my peers faced.  It was the norm to not attend college. It was the norm to drop out.  It was the norm to live a less than fulfilling life. When I met with this recruiter, I realized it wasn’t normal, and that it’s not okay. Many of my friends and family members just barely got by, and it was because of a lack of knowledge and resources. That led me to apply for Teach For America, to be around people who wanted to make some sort of difference and ultimately led me to a career in college counseling.

How did you find out about Teach For America? What is the story between when you first heard about the program, and when you wound up applying?

I didn’t know what Teach For America was, but I’ve always been one to take advantage of an opportunity. I met with a recruiter and there was such a passion about him like I’ve never seen. He got to know me, my background, and my own experiences of growing up in the Rio Grande Valley to a single mom. He made me aware of the bigger picture I was apart of, and I became absolutely drawn to the mission of Teach For America. At the time, I wasn’t yet ready to apply; I had another year of college to go, so he suggested I apply for an internship. I was excited and applied as soon as the Operations Coordinator application opened up. After interning for the summer in the Mississippi Delta, I knew I wanted to be apart of the organization as a corps member.

Describe your first day of teaching. What emotions were you feeling? What struggles did you have to overcome that first day/first year?

I was a nervous wreck. How was I supposed to command a room, set high expectations, and show love all at the same time? I had an amazing group of students who had a wonderful sense of humor. They taught me so much. My biggest struggle was overcoming what I believed was a perfect lesson. These students taught me that they weren’t perfect, that I wasn’t perfect, and we weren’t supposed to be. They taught me to take time to cut loose a little and enjoy the moment.

Some alumni say that the corps was a catalyst for personal transformation, and that it changed both their beliefs as well as their skillset. Do you agree with that statement? 

Oh my goodness, absolutely! I am eternally grateful for the opportunities the Memphis region provided. Through the workshops, I quickly realized my opinion was not and still isn’t the only opinion in the room and that my perspective is limited to my experiences. We had an overnight, weekend trip in Mississippi that about 50 corps members attended. That weekend was one of the most memorable times in my life. We were put in positions that forced us to face our biases, acknowledge the perspective of corps members we may not identify with, and reflect on our own personal journeys. It was amazing. I learned a lot from others, and come to find out some things I shared helped my fellow corps members as well.

Regarding your current job, how did you find it? Why were you attracted to it?

When I decided to move to Austin, TX, I began to look up high school college access programs. To my surprise, there weren’t many that were specific to college and career counseling. I connected with the TFA Memphis alumni director who connected me to the TFA Austin alumni director. We had a conversation and she immediately suggested KIPP Through College. She connected me with the middle school principal, Katie Shapiro Carpenter who was passionate, loved her students, and supported my ultimate goals. I knew I was being called to teach at this school. When a position with the KTC team opened up, Mrs. Shapiro Carpenter was nothing but supportive in my transition.

First, I was and continue to be attracted to the support the KIPP Texas-Austin team has had in my growth and development. Second, I was attracted to the mission of KIPP Through College. We have an amazing team of people who are driven and strive each day to support our students.

How did being a TFA corps member impact your life, what you do for work, and how you do the work?

TFA impacted my life by simply being around passion-filled visionaries who value quality work. I realized that being average isn’t an option. I do my work now with a quality like none other. I am proud of everything I create and I don’t shy away from hard feedback.

Teach For America is a great organization that forces you to build your leadership skills and places you in a position to look at yourself in the mirror and confront the person you are and the person you need to be for the next generation. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it is for the imperfect people who want our children to have more and be everything they are capable of being.