Archive for Internship:
Intern Profile: Tahina Vatel
Name: Tahina Vatel
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
School: Amherst College, Class of 2012
Major: LJST
Gmail: tahinarvatel@gmail.com
Internship Blog: http://tahva.blogspot.com/
Why did you choose the Mississippi Teacher Corps Summer Internship?
It all became clear to me the evening Ben Guest spoke at one of our Black Student Union
meetings. It was then that I heard for the first time the problems associated with the school
system in Mississippi. When he described the heart-breaking conditions children in the
Mississippi Delta had to face, I could only think of one thing-the children suffering from the
same if not worse conditions in Haiti, my parents’ native country. He also explained how we
could help by becoming an intern at the Mississippi Teacher Corps and I immediately wanted to
know more details.
A few years after I was born, my parents thought it would be best to raise my sister and I
in Haiti. Although we were Americans, it didn’t take long for my sister and me to adjust to the
new lifestyle and culture. But then, almost unexpectedly, the country went through major
political problems. I witnessed at a young age horrors I’d only seen in movies. Immediately after
the situation got out of hand we escaped the danger and took one of the first flights to New York,
and would later have our baggagesent to us.
I am saddened when I think about the day, four years ago, when we evacuated the country
not only because I was leaving a place I’d come to call home, but also because I felt sorrow for
those who weren’t fortunate enough to be able to leave this scene behind and continue to receive
their education in a country with opportunities like America. I then vowed to return to Haiti one
day, after having expanded my education, to help the country recuperate. My long-term goal is
open a school in Haiti. It will no doubt be a difficult task but it is one I am willing to carry out starting
with the Mississippi Teacher Corps.
While hearing Mr. Guest’s presentation I began to think about socioeconomic status and
how it relates to school, which in turn made me realize where I needed to start. I decided to take
an English class called Reading, Writing, and Teaching/Learning. In this class I am reading
books and short texts that describe the problems with the school system in America, such as
integration, funding, and immigration. Through this course, I’ve also become a Teaching
Assistant for a nearby high school, Holyoke High School. Because of Reading, Writing, and
Teaching/Learningand my participation in extracurricular activities, including Big Brother Big
Sister and America Reads America Counts,I am much more informed now than I had been 4
years ago. I am also more eager than ever before to start a career in education.
Furthermore, at the end of the internship I will have an opportunity to produce a film
based on my experience- filmmaking is my second dream. Since the 9th grade, I’ve been
producing documentaries about social issues such as discharging in schools (to secretly kick a
student out because of his or her bad influence on the other students or the school record such as
pregnancy, poor grades, or disturbing behavior), immigration, foster care, and the prison system.
In total, I’ve produced 7 documentary films, two of which have won several awards.
This summer internship provided by the Mississippi Teacher Corps effectively combines
what I am dedicated to most in life, education and film.Perhaps, in the future, I will merge the
two together. This opportunity gives me the ability to immerse myself not only in teaching per
se, but also in a well-rounded experience that will help me achieve my aspirations and goals.It
also allows me to implement skills that I have learned while assisting a math teacher at Holyoke
High, mentoring a middle school student through Big Brother Big Sister, and tutoring elementary
students through America Reads America Counts program.
Like a piece of puzzle, this internship fits right into my aim in life.
What superpower would you like?
Turn back time and read minds.
Intern Profile: Kelly Tellis-Warren
Name: Kelly Tellis-Warren
Hometown: Boston, MA
School: Amherst College, Class of 2010
Major: Black Studies
Gmail: ktell88@gmail.com
Internship Blog: http://ktell88-kelly.blogspot.com/
Why did you choose the Mississippi Teacher Corps Summer Internship?
My interest in the Mississippi Teaching Corps is a result of my life experiences. Having received top notch education my entire life, I understand the importance of good education and the impact it can have on people’s lives. However, my experiences growing up in a poor black community, where my friends and neighbors were not as fortunate as me has made me aware of the disparities of education and the limitations that come with inadequate school systems filled with students and teachers who have lost their interest in learning. My main motivator to pursue a career in social justice has come from dual experience in privileged and unprivileged spheres of society, and I feel that education is one of the foremost contributors to economic disparities in the nation.
I’m particularly interested in working with the Mississippi Teaching Corps because of the group of people who it focuses on helping and because of what it stands for by helping these people. As a black student, I’m particularly interested in the nationwide failure to properly educate black youth. Inadequate education is a leading method of disenfranchisement in the nation, especially in black communities. As such, I feel that it is one of the most important social sectors in need of immediate reform. The best way to do this is by putting people in schools who care about the lives of students inside and outside the classroom and recognize the on-going issues that may affect children’s ability to learn, such as poverty, violence and inadequate healthcare. It is for this reason that I am drawn to the Mississippi Teaching Corps. Not only does this organization seek to help underprivileged students, but by running summer school programs and constantly finding ways to get students engaged in their own learning, the organization stands against the commonly held belief that black kids do not perform well in schools because they choose not to do so, or because they are unintelligent.
I’m also attracted to the MTC because of my own desire to learn to more about the specific issues and challenges involved in school systems, particularly those which deal with underprivileged youth. I would love the opportunity to be a part of making a difference in these children’s lives and engaging them in learning so that they know that someone cares about their future and believes that they’re more than the negative images depicted of them on television. But most of all I would love the opportunity to see what these children can teach me and hear what they have to say, because I think they’re stories are important. Overall, it would be an honor to work with the Mississippi Teaching Corps and be a part of the much needed fight against injustice in this country while also gaining a worthwhile summer experience.
What superpower would you like?
If I could be any superhero I would be Mystique from X-Men so that I could take on anyone’s appearance and fool the masses; I’ve always loved the idea of being a fly on the wall. I also like her because she’s blue (da-ba-dee, da-ba-da).
Intern Profile: Asia Millette
Name: Asia-Sierra Taniesha Millette
Hometown: Queens Village, NY
School: Amherst College, Class of 2011
Major: Sociology and Black Studies Double Major
Gmail: a.millette11@gmail.com
Internship Blog: http://iminmississippi.blogspot.com/
Why did you choose the Mississippi Teacher Corps Summer Internship?
My name is Asia-Sierra Millette and I am a rising junior at Amherst College. Over the past four years, I have become a better, more productive person and citizen and I owe it to my college program Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA). I know how important it is to need someone to support you and give you a push in the right direction. Sometimes ambition is not enough, we need guidance and a strong support system. LEDA has taught me that if you have the power to help someone else, it is your responsibility to do so.
I want to help guide young people in the right direction like LEDA did for me. Through the Mississippi Teacher Corps Internship Program, I can make a difference in these kids’ lives. My mother, born and raised in Mississippi, is one of ten children. She tells me everyday how lucky I am because I had more opportunities than she ever had living in Mississippi. I believe that all kids have the potential to learn and succeed if shown support and given words of encouragement.
The Mississippi Teacher Corps appeals to me because of its values. I know from experience that if a kid has a support system and a motivating voice telling them they can succeed in whatever they put their mind to, the sky is the limit. I believe that through this internship, I can help make a difference in these kids’ lives and have a positive impact like LEDA had for me.
What superpower would you like?
I want dessert vision. Like, be able to turn things to ice cream and cake and brownies and things.
Intern Profile: Shanika Audige
Name: Shanika Semexant-Audige
Hometown: Newark, NJ
School: Amherst College, Class of 2012
Major: Undecided
Gmail: saudige12@gmail.com
Internship Blog: http://summerinthesip.blogspot.com/
Why did you choose the Mississippi Teacher Corps Summer Internship?
…It was a Tuesday night, a BSU (Black Student Union) meeting, when I first encountered the Mississippi Teachers Corps. The meeting was of particular interest because of a guest speaker by the name of Ben Guest, an alumnus of ’97. Ben Guest, a tall white male with glasses, unruly blond hair and a quirky grin stood before a small group of Black students “preaching” about the plight of low income African American students in the Mississippi Delta. My first instinct was to think, “Well what does he know?” As I continued to watch him speak with passion about MTC, I could not help but wonder whether he spoke so fervently to us because we were black or if he addressed all of his audiences with the same ardor? Needless to say, I left the meeting a bit unsatisfied because I was not sure of Mr. Guest’s intentions. Fortunately, I was able to encounter him afterwards in the Frost Library. I approached him and expressed the question that had been plaguing me. Initially, I thought that Mr. Guest would be put off by the forwardness of my question. Instead, he welcomed it with heartfelt consideration and what ensued was a two to three hour conversation in which he, a couple friends and I discussed the program, its goal and the reason why Mr. Guest decided to join the program in the first place.
The conversation then branched off into a discussion of the socioeconomic status of African Americans, the poor educational systems still in effect, and the lack of African American presence in the education system as teachers and mentors, particularly in impoverished neighborhoods. By the end of the conversation, it was evident that Ben Guest was no gimmick. He believed in the MTC with his whole being and was absolutely sincere about its mission to provide quality education for the deprived low income students of the Mississippi Delta. Throughout the conversation, I felt Ben Guest’s spirit and faith in the MTC transfer its energies into me and at the end, I was a believer. I became hopeful for the future of education in this country and the role that I may play in its improvement simply by being a part of a program like the MTC. Mr. Guest’s conviction to help underprivileged youth fortified my own hopes to return back to my hometown of Newark, NJ and improve the public education system there…
As an intern of the MTC I know that I will develop skills that will place me in the best position to reach this goal; it will help me become a better mentor to young students in my community. In fact, what I value most about this program is the constant interaction with the students. I cannot begin to fathom the interesting people I would get to meet, the amazing and thought-provoking speakers I would get to hear and the places that I would get to go. These are the positive experiences that I live for and are the positive experiences that I will work my hardest to partake in. I am sure of what I can offer to the MTC, but I am most thrilled at the prospect of what the MTC has to offer me. I am not sure where life will take me a few years from now, nor do I know exactly what job I’ll be doing ten years from now. One thing is for sure; I want to be doing something meaningful. I want to be in a profession that I enjoy, that makes a difference in this world, that surrounds me with compassionate and honest people and that will ultimately teach me something new about myself. So why not start with the Mississippi Teachers Corps?
What superpower would you like?
If I were a super hero, I’d, without a doubt, be Ben Guest. With his amazing abilities of organization and efficiency, his extraordinary brain power which allows him to ask the most complex and vital questions in any conversation or discussion, and a sense of humor that would have any foe laughing to their deaths, Ben Guest comes, sees, and conquers. Alas, the truth of the matter is that even if I were to wake up in the morning and turn my swag on, its volume could never reach the altitude of Ben Guest. His swagger is insurmountable. Thus, I must content myself with the silent veneration of one of Mississippi’s greatest heroes.