Why did you join MTC?

I joined the Teacher Corps because I knew there was a need for teachers. I feel like I had the ability to help fill that need. The reputation of Teacher Corps also played a large part in my decision. The goodwill of the program, and of the people in the program, was important to me.

What has been the greatest challenge?

Staying on top of everything/getting everything done. Or remembering that it is okay if I don't get everything done.

What has been the greatest reward?

Meeting the people that I have. Both the students and the teachers. I've met some wonderful people here in Mississippi.

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.