Why did you join MTC?

I volunteered a lot through tutoring programs and after school programs. When I finished college, I decided I should try teaching because I really enjoyed what I did as a volunteer. I don't know why I picked Mississippi, though. My first trip to Mississippi was when I was moving to the dorms at Ole Miss.

What has been the greatest challenge?

I can't think of one specific challenge; the challenges build on each other. Block scheduling, state testing, compulsory education, social promotion, and the never ending schedule changes top the list.

What has been the greatest success?

For me, the greatest success has been the number of students that come to after school tutorial. I think it's great when students take the initiative to seek out extra help if they need it. I also love that some students come to tutorial to ask me for more challenging problems. Having motivated students makes my job much easier.

The Mississippi Teacher Corps is the most competitive alternate-route teaching program in the country. It is a two-year program that recruits recent college graduates to teach in critical-shortage areas in the Mississippi Delta, in exchange for a full scholarship for a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi. The program was founded in 1989 by Amy Gutman, a Harvard University graduate student, and Dr. Andy Mullins, then Special Assistant to the State Superintendent of Education. Since 1989 more than 350 participants, reaching an estimated 70,000 students, have taught in critical-needs school districts as part of the Mississippi Teacher Corps.