What are you doing now? What have you been doing since MTC?

I work in government relations for National Children’s Alliance, a non profit organization that works to make the medical, legal, and healing processes easier on children who are victims of child abuse.

What was the greatest reward of being a part of the Mississippi Teacher Corps?

There are many things, but immediately I would say the students. I was shy, young, and nervous and they were very welcoming and friendly. They lived in such extreme poverty, but in some ways they were so much the same as I was in high school—getting excited for football games and prom—and then in other ways so different—dealing with poverty at a level I had never seen before.

What was the biggest challenge?

Definitely the lack of resources. I remember I taught sophomore English, and I had 89 students and 9 text books. I remember we were not able to make copies. I also taught an art class, but had no supplies.

How has MTC impacted your life?

It changed my outlook on life entirely. I am much more grateful for what I have. I am still pretty sad when I read about the schools in Mississippi and about the status of the Delta in general, but I know that there is so much determination there! I just wish they had more resources. I know that the students wanted to go on and go to college, grad school, and more, but so much held them back—circumstances truly beyond their control.

The Mississippi Teacher Corps is the most competitive teaching program in the country. The two-year program, designed for non-education majors, recruits college graduates to teach in the Mississippi Delta and offers a host of benefits, including teacher training and certification, a full scholarship for a master's degree in education, job placement that includes full pay and benefits and, most importantly, the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students in one of the poorest areas of the country.