The best decision that I've ever made in my life was doing TFA in Baltimore and becoming a teacher, hands down. I met my kids and it sounds really cliche, but as soon as I started teaching, I just fell in love with them and recognized that they're the leaders the world so desperately needs. Working with the students gives me joy and hope in a way that nothing I've ever done does.
And on my worst days, even if getting out of bed is the hardest thing in the world, that connection with my students feels so whole. When we keep our students first and we keep their goals in front of us, I think we can do nothing but be successful. I remind my students that if we nurture our value of education and continue our thirst for knowledge, no matter what obstacles we face, we can and shall overcome.
I want them to hold on to infinite hope. For many of us, what started as a two-year commitment has turned into a lifelong mission. Whether in the classroom, or in union and system leadership, or work in education technology, you see a passion among our alumni to do whatever it takes to eliminate the inequities our children face every day. I appreciated Teach For America for preparing us to be flexible … they gave us the basics to feel grounded but also that creativity to branch out and do what was best for our students and community.
I joined Teach For America because I want students to know that growing up in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities is not something to be ashamed of or a liability. Growing up in such communities—as in my case—can be the driving force for their personal, academic, and professional success. It is important for me as a man of color to be a force in the education movement because many of the decisions made that impact students in under-resourced communities are not made by people who reflect the backgrounds and experiences of those in the communities the policies most directly affect.
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