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

After MTC, I married my Teacher Corps sweetheart (Elizabeth Young) and moved to Igaueno, Japan, where I taught English to students varying in age from 3 to 75. I am currently teaching English at Byhalia High School in Marshall County, MS.

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

The greatest reward was watching a student be successful. Whether it was a small assignment or a state test, it was great to see a student excited and happy about something they did while at school. To be a part of that, and to have them attribute some of that success to me as their teacher, makes all of the other stuff bearable.

What was the biggest challenge?

I would say the entire two years were the most challenging of my life. Nine weeks into my first year, the English II teacher at our school quit. I was teaching speech and debate, and my principal moved me to English II because it is a state tested subject. I had to change classrooms on the day before the start of the next nine weeks. I had all new students whose teacher had just quit on them. The school had a pass rate of 59% on the English II test the year before. Nine weeks later, the other English II teacher quit and all of the English II students were put in my class. My class size doubled. The challenge wasn't that these things happened. I felt more challenged by the obligation to teach these children under tough circumstances. I think it is the challenge that all MTC teachers face.

How has MTC impacted your life?

I think MTC helped build a strong foundation for my career. After the two years, I felt like a more capable teacher, and I felt confident in my decision to become a teacher. Also, I will never forget the other participants and the MTC faculty from my year. I have never been part of a group that was so focused and dedicated to what they were doing.

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.