Why did you join MTC?

I joined MTC because I was raised in the Mississippi Delta and attended one of its public schools. While at Greenwood High, I was greatly influenced by two great new teachers, whom I discovered upon joining MTC were members of MTC themselves. Mr Wilkinson and Ms. Pelli (now Mrs. Pelli-Leonard) motivated me to leave Greenwood to attend school at the Mississippi School for Math and Science, where I was exposed to different cultures, ethnicities, and ways of thinking that has molded me into the person I am today. So, I guess you can say I want to pay it forward: I want to show at least one student through either presence, example, or instruction that he or she is not completely limited in success because of the socioeconomic conditions of their environments.

What is the greatest challenge?

My greatest challenge has been in effectively helping my students realize their potential as great students and successful members of society. I have seen a lot of improvement in the behavior of most of my students, as far as my expectations for them inside the classroom. However, it does nothing to ensure they'll take what they've learned outside of the classroom to incorporate into their every day lives. So, while I see some improvement with my students' overall outlook on life, I feel that the little improvement that is made is left at school.

What is the greatest reward?

My greatest reward has been in seeing improvement, no matter how small or great. So every single time I witness one of my students perform better than before, I feel a twinkle of hope that they will notice that success and strive to be more successful in everything they do.

 

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.