My greatest challenge has been the awesome responsibility of being apart of a child's life. Last November two boys fought in myclassroom, and it was one of the most painful experiences of my professional life. If nothing else, a teacher must keep students safe, and I had failed even in that regard. It is humbling to carry such weight.

The greatest reward, then, is that same responsibility. My students fascinate me, and I feel beyond fortunate to play a part in their lives. They have a natural curiosity that they are always trying to hide, and it is a great pleasure to surprise them with their own brilliance.

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.