As a college senior, I am asked about post-graduation plans on a regular basis. Like many seniors, I have struggled to come up with a set plan that does not change from time to time. I arrived at Connecticut College knowing that I wanted to study architecture, but I didn’t know exactly where that would take me. I never imagined the incredible opportunities my four years here would afford me. I’m unspeakably grateful for each and every one of them – but also a little sad. So many of the classmates I grew up with in a working-class neighborhood in Houston won’t get the same chances that I’ve had to learn and grow, and won’t have the choices that I do as I move into full-fledged adulthood.
Unfortunately, my former classmates in Houston are not unique. Millions of kids growing up low-income don’t have access to the education they deserve.
This infuriates me. I didn’t get to Conn because I was exceptionally gifted or talented. I got here because of my school and the teachers at YES Prep in Houston – mentors and role models who pushed, guided, supported and loved me.
As I thought more and more about my post-grad plans, these teachers kept showing up in my mind (partly because they also show up in my phone so often – still emailing and calling regularly to see how I’m doing, offer help, and get the latest on campus life). Many of my most influential teachers at YES Prep were Teach For America corps members. As I noticed TFA posters going up on campus this fall, it became clear to me that I now had that freedom and responsibility to follow in their footsteps. I’ll never be able to pay back what they did for me. But I can pay it forward.
I know Teach For America isn’t perfect. No organization is. But the criticisms I’ve heard of TFA just don’t match up with my reality. Our education system is deeply flawed, and fixing it is going to take the hard, dedicated work of thousands of people across sectors. TFA corps members and alums are a part of this – not the whole story or solution by any stretch but certainly a key part of mine. Without TFA, many of my favorite teachers would never have made it to my classrooms. And they certainly wouldn’t have landed in my school. Founded by TFA alumni, YES Prep is changing the game for low-income students. It’s the reason I have the choice to become an educator. It’s the reason I can’t imagine choosing anything else.
You don’t have to think TFA is the answer. But you do have to understand the impact its teachers and alumni are having on kids like me before you dismiss it. If we want to live in a world where every student can walk into her closest neighborhood school and get a great education, we need to do everything we can to support, celebrate, and partner with the people who are trying to make that happen. When I enter the classroom as a teacher next fall, I won’t be trying to push a private agenda. I’ll be joining an incredible community of educators, some who came through TFA and some who did not, coming together to give underserved kids what they need to create bright futures for themselves. It’s a privilege and an honor. •