 |
Corps Year: 2007 |
Describe where you live.
I live in Walltown, a historic neighborhood in Durham near Duke’s East Campus. My house was built in 1926. I live with one other Teach For America corps member. Durham, as a city, is an interesting place to live. It’s a mix of people from the universities as well as people who are just normal folk.
What do you like most about living in Durham?
I really love the size of the city. It’s big enough that you get a lot of the amenities, with a lot of places to eat, shop, and go out, but it’s not so big that I feel like I can’t know it very well. It’s easy to get to know if you make the effort. The people are really wonderful. They’re the city’s biggest asset.
What is the nightlife and weekend life like in Durham?
Durham isn’t like New York or Washington, D. C. It does require a willingness to seek out things to do, but there’s a lot of culture here because of the university and because of the interesting and diverse people that live here. It’s two hours to the beach and three hours to the mountains, and Chapel Hill and Raleigh are so close by, which infinitely increases the resources, things to do, and places to eat.
North Carolina’s economy has traditionally been dependent on agriculture, especially tobacco and textiles. As these industries decline in rural regions, how do you see that impacting your students’ lives and educational opportunities?
In Durham, while it wasn’t necessarily agricultural, the decline in the tobacco industry left a real gap in employment opportunities here. For my students’ parents and grandparents, lots of their jobs and careers came from the tobacco industry. I think the city of Durham didn’t figure out what economy and industry to turn to once tobacco declined. Now, there’s been a shift towards biotechnology, technology, and the medical fields, and that’s improving.
Do you find you can live comfortably here on your teacher’s salary? Are you able to save money?
Oh yes, definitely. I’ve saved a little bit. I’m working on it!
What is your everyday life like?
I get up at 5:45 a.m., which is not a time that I ever thought I would see regularly! I’m usually at school by 6:30 a.m., teach from 7:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., then spend a couple of hours planning, making copies, working with students who stay for tutoring, and generally getting myself and my classroom ready for the next day. I try to be home by 6:00 p.m., and then my evenings are a combination of planning, hanging out with friends, seeing my parents, going to the gym, and sometimes going out to eat.
How has your life changed as an Eastern North Carolina corps member?
I feel like my life is 100 percent different than it was in college in terms of how I spend my days, not only physically, but also the thoughts that occupy my head and the things that consume me. Teaching is not simply a job but really a lifestyle. I am thinking about and planning for my students for much of my day. It’s been a good experience, and it’s incredibly challenging. It takes over your life.
Our corps members
Placement regions
Corps and Alumni
