Rachel Bagnall, Economics Major, Brigham Young University-Provo | “One of my students had a strong interest in the medical profession. She didn’t know how to find or pursue opportunities that would set her on the path toward a medical career. I immediately took action. Today, she is enrolled in a two-year public cooperative school providing career and technical education programs!”

Bayan Shaku, Psychology Major, University of Houston | “Seeing what pride-building can do for students of color, both in terms of social-emotional wellness and academic achievement, motivates me. I have witnessed in my own classroom how pride-building coupled with rigorous instruction allows for a more organic growth trajectory.” 

Cartavius Black, Political Science Major, University of Tennessee | “Every chance he gets, one of my students proudly proclaims to anyone that will listen that "Mr. Black saved my life." In actuality, the novice teacher in front of him all those years ago was simply being an advocate for his needs at the time, which was to be an adult that listened to him.” 

Nickolas Tilley, Public Relations Major, University of Tennessee | “To build relationships with students and parents, I support students outside of school. I attended a student's soccer game, and this allowed me to touch base with a student's family. I want parents to know I genuinely want to see their child succeed so we can work as a team to help their child grow.” 

Megan Furois, Spanish Major, Western Washington University | “I spent two TFA years teaching third grade but wanted to merge my love for teaching with my love for the outdoors. My principal offered me the opportunity to create the program from scratch. We even raised scholarship money so that students from low-income families can participate.” 

Adam Zmick, Business Administration Major, Harvard University | “TFA was a huge inspiration that led to co-founding Gardeneers. My students wanted to learn outside by doing things that made a difference. They often asked me where they could get healthy food when there weren't many healthy options. Since I used a garden as a classroom, I’ve been convinced every student needs the opportunity to learn by growing.” 

Nkoyo-Ene Effiong, American Studies Major, Brown University | “I love running an education law firm, we advocate unapologetically for excellence, equity, and education justice alongside communities of color. We represent parents and students on anything from school discipline to special education, particularly working with parents who have children that are both of color and have disabilities.”

Albert Frank Jimenez, International Studies Major, Boston University | “After an internship in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, I learned that education, in conjunction with aid and service, is the key to long-term development and growth of any kind. Now, as a middle school Science teacher in New Orleans, I use my past and current experiences to build RefED, an app designed to help refugee and immigrant students who do not have equitable access to education.”

Katelyn Roedner Sutter, Masters in Ethics and Social Theory Graduate, Theological Union | “The same communities struggling to get quality education are bearing a disproportionate burden of environmental damage. I develop policy, legislative, and regulatory advocacy proposals around climate change and air quality. For example, I convened a local coalition to influence a regional plan for land use and transportation and assessed its air quality, health impacts, and equity metrics. We received an award for our community engagement. And that coalition still exists today!”