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

I teach high school math at Newton South High in Newton, MA. Newton is a nice suburb of Boston and the school is one of the top high schools in the state. I also advise the school's Ultimate Frisbee club which is a fun way to get to know some great kids without having to give them homework; I highly advise any teacher to get to know their kids outside the classroom through such activities. I've been teaching high school math ever since I left the MTC. Teaching is just something I fell into and it fit nicely. After my engineering undergrad I joined Peace Corps. After a two hour interview with Peace Corps my recruiter told me I was going to teach math in Africa. And I said, "Sure, I'll give it a try." And it stuck. Peace Corps, Mississippi Teacher Corps, Everett, Boston, Newton--eight years teaching and still going strong.

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

The greatest reward of teaching in Mississippi was the kids. Kids in the Delta have heart like no other group of kids and they expect you to give up a piece of your heart and you do. They tested me at every step of my teaching and I followed along as best I could. My first priority in teaching in a different culture (besides the math) was following the culture and enjoying the differences. I really enjoyed myself and my hosts really enjoyed me. I'll never forget coming back the summer after I was done my two-year commitment and seeing all the kids in their neighborhoods, they were so happy to see me and I was happy to see them. There was a deep personal caring, a connection made between people from cultures. That sort of thing doesn't happen every day, especially if you live in your own personal comfort zone and never take a peek outside of it.

What was the biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge was my 1984 Alfa Romeo Spider. (It's an old school Italian convertible, kind of like a Miata.) I spent more time under it than in it. It was my hobby. I bought it off E-bay and it could barely go 30 mph. By the time I was done with it I'd peeled rubber back and forth to Boston twice. It was a fun way to get to know the little niche of the Delta's shade-tree mechanic culture. A couple of teachers were old school hot-rodders and it was a nice way to connect. Old timer mechanics back home still do a double take at some of the things I try to do with cars. And I think the second biggest challenge was the food. I gained 50 lbs my last year. Took me over a year and the movie "Supersize Me" to lose the weight. All the food was too good. When I lived on the cotton farm in Grace, MS the farmer, Mr. Goza, would have me over for family dinner. They had homemade biscuits and homemade ice-cream!

How has MTC impacted your life?

I have a deeper understanding of America. No matter how much people focus in on our differences: north or south, rich or poor, black or white, we're still all Americans and we have a lot more in common than we think. Maybe this is why I like Obama's message. (Yes, that was a shameless plug.)

(On Staff at Greenwood High School)

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.