I joined TFA to initiate a spark for a child … Each of us has an innate gift or talent or skill set, that when sparked uncovers our natural drive and desire. Uncovering that potential is the true purpose of education.

I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do after graduating and I knew that I was really passionate about animal welfare advocacy and LGBTQ advocacy and that the one thing that was connecting my two passions was using education to try and create change.

I couldn’t be more motivated and inspired to give back to mi gente, as I will be teaching students who are like me, who undergo daily struggles the way I did. I want to inspire these students and become a role model for them. I was limited in all ways possible and if I did it, so can you.

I’ve always been passionate about children, about education, and also .. I’m a nerd, I love school and so I found a way, through TFA, to kind of marry my love of schooling and education in my own subject areas with my concern for justice and equity.

Originally, I wanted to be an attorney. I thought this was how I could dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. But after I interned at the prosecutor’s office in Maryland and at the Southern Center for Human Rights while in college, I noticed there were so many clients who were functionally illiterate. I thought, 'What if we had prior support then that could have prevented this?' I wanted to unlock that door. That's how I came across Teach For America.

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.

To me, teaching is the most innovative profession there is. We talk so much about the Silicon Valley and the hub of innovation that it inspires but I truly think the opportunity educators have to step into a classroom and create our own Silicon Valley ecosystem is possible. The future is right in front of us—it's just humbling and something that I think we have to really take seriously and own the beauty within that responsibility.

I've always loved children. They're closest to the core of humanity and what it means to love. We lose so much of that when we become grown-ups … if we can just figure out how to lead with the unstoppable hearts that we're born with, the world will be a much better place. That is what I wanted to commit my life to, and that’s what I’m lucky to still work for every day.

I left behind my successful tech career because I realized that I gained more joy, meaning, and fulfillment from my volunteer role as an after-school teacher. I also recognized that, while my middle school students showed significant growth in my class, I could nurture many more students if I dedicated myself to teaching full time … With its deep resources and intensive training, TFA became the perfect catalyst to support my transition into teaching.

I moved to the U.S. from Beijing when I was 14 years old. As a first-generation immigrant and an educator, I could relate to the cultural, language and social barriers that my students also face. My students and the community remind me of the importance of the fight for educational equity every day and inspire me to solve complex and deeply-rooted problems in the education system.

I was inspired to join the corps after recognizing the inequities in education when volunteering to teach financial literacy to local middle schools in Los Angeles during my undergraduate career. Even during this short time volunteering, I understood that access to a great education had to be a basic human right yet this isn’t what persisted across my college campus.

After separating from the military I found that continued service and mission-oriented work motivated me. Teach For America's mission inspired me and continues to inspire me.

My friend whom I consider a brother was sentenced to 35 years in prison when I was 15 and he was 16. That’s what led me to become an educator. I read the data of how many people were in prison in Dallas… the zip code I lived in was at the top of the list. I thought of my friends and was like, ‘I need to get in the classroom, I can touch and help the most people –the most students.'