CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, September 16, 2024— Education nonprofit and leadership development organization Teach For America (TFA) is proud to announce that Aneesh Sohoni (Twin Cities '09), CEO of One Million Degrees (OMD), has been named the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Peter Jennings Award for Civic Leadership. Established in 2007, the Peter Jennings Award, named in honor of the late ABC News anchor and longtime supporter of Teach For America, recognizes Teach For America alumni who embody the organization’s core values and whose work led to significant change for excellence and equity in education. 

“Peter believed in Teach For America, because he believed in the power of public education and, like TFA, he knew that equal opportunity depends on educational opportunity,” said Kayce Freed Jennings, Peter’s wife. “Aneesh Sohoni’s difficult and collaborative work to make the Community College opportunity more accessible to so many more reflects the determination, passion and commitment to community that is an integral part of the TFA ethos. We are thrilled to honor it.”   

Aneesh's impactful work with One Million Degrees, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering community college students, has brought meaningful change  in Chicago. Under his leadership, OMD has been at the forefront of providing comprehensive academic, financial, personal and professional support to community college students across Illinois. Through its holistic approach, OMD helps low-income students overcome barriers to graduation, offering services like financial assistance, tutoring, mentoring, and professional development. 

Vital to OMD’s success are community partnerships. The organization collaborates with colleges and employers to create career pathways, ensuring students gain the skills and resources needed for economic mobility. One such collaboration is OMD’s recent, visionary partnership with City Colleges of Chicago (CCC). Together, OMD and CCC are working toward a bold goal of achieving a 55% college completion rate, with OMD’s model set to boost enrollment by 7% and graduation rates by 11%. 

“I am deeply honored to receive the Peter Jennings Award for Civic Leadership,” shared Aneesh. “As the child of immigrants, I’ve seen how access to educational opportunity can truly change lives, and that’s what initially drew me to teaching and education. At One Million Degrees, we believe in the power of community college to transform not only students' lives but also entire communities by breaking down barriers to economic mobility. This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our students, staff, and partners, and it inspires me to continue advocating for a future where every student has the support they need to thrive."

Since stepping in as CEO in 2021, Aneesh has led One Million Degrees to significantly expand its reach and impact, improving retention, graduation rates, and long-term career success. Under his leadership, the number of participating students grew from 650 in Fall 2022 to 1,223 in Fall 2023, putting OMD on track to reach its goal of 5,000+ students by 2028. Aneesh and his team also drove a major boost in fundraising, growing revenue from $4 million to $24 million in just one year, with a notable $7 million gift from MacKenzie Scott in Spring 2023.

“Aneesh embodies the enduring commitment and unwavering belief in every child that Teach For America fosters in our network of leaders across the country,” shared Teach For America CEO Elisa Villanueva Beard. “From his impact as a classroom teacher to his leadership at Teach For America and One Million Degrees, Aneesh has consistently championed students from underserved communities, working with them to break down barriers to opportunity and economic mobility. As he charges forward to scale the work he’s leading at One Million Degrees, Aneesh’s visionary effort is driving stronger education and career outcomes for thousands of community college students each year. We are incredibly proud to honor him with the Peter Jennings Award for Civic Leadership, and we look forward to seeing the continued impact of his work in the years to come.”

Aneesh’s journey in education started over a decade ago as a high school English teacher in the Twin Cities through Teach For America. Inspired by his own family’s immigrant story, he saw firsthand how access to opportunity could unlock the full potential of every student. Since leaving the classroom, Aneesh worked in the public and non-profit sector supporting education efforts at a city and state level. His time at the Tennessee Department of Education provided him the opportunity to help design a transformative teacher evaluation system, and his subsequent role at TNTP put him at the forefront of human capital and academic reform efforts in Camden, NJ and Boston, MA. His leadership has not only influenced the lives of countless students but also set a standard for civic leadership within the education sector. 

“I am proud to call Aneesh a mentor and friend and it is a privilege to present him with the Peter Jennings Civic Leadership Award,” shared Anajah Philogene, Executive Director of TFA Chicago-Northwest Indiana. “Our time together at TFA allowed me to see his passion and fierce commitment up close. Aneesh is a deep listener, strategic learner, and thoughtful coalition builder that takes the time to understand the needs, barriers and goals of young people and is determined to create the enduring support and network necessary to guide them to college and career success.”

The award will be presented during a reception on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM CT at Taste 222 in Chicago. This celebration, hosted in partnership with TFA Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana Advisory Board members Chas Edelstein and Nisaini Rexach, will honor Aneesh's achievements and contributions to the field of education.

Past Winners:

The award year listed refers to when the award  was announced, and it honors work that achieved a breakthrough in the previous year. Due to COVID-related challenges, there were no winners for 2020 or 2022. 

2023: DACA Dreamers Reyna Montoya (Phoenix ‘14) and Jose Patiño (Phoenix ‘14), for their work spearheading the successful campaign for Proposition 308, a ballot initiative to reinstate in-state tuition to immigrants in Arizona

2021: Shannen Coleman Siciliano (Baltimore ‘03), Joe Francaviglia (Baltimore ‘11), Taylor Stewart (Baltimore ‘07), and Shamoyia Gardiner (Jacksonville ‘14) from Strong Schools Maryland and state legislators Bill Ferguson (Baltimore ‘05) and Ross Seidman (Baltimore ‘15) for their advocacy work for The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. 

2019: Janna Wagner (New York ‘95) and Sammy Politziner (New York ‘99), for their work as Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer and Board Member, All Our Kin

2018: Heather Anichini (Chicago-Northwest Indiana ‘02), for her work as President and CEO, Chicago Public Education Fund

2017: Jeffrey Riley (Baltimore ‘93), for his work as the (Former) Superintendent, Lawrence MA Public Schools

2016: Sophia Pappas (New Jersey ‘03), for her work as (Former) CEO, Division of ECE, New York City Department of Education

2015: DeRay Mckesson (New York ‘07) and Brittany Packnett (D.C. Region ‘07), for their work as Social and Racial Activists

2014: Kaya Henderson (New York ‘92) and Kevin Huffman (Houston ‘92), for their work as (Former) Chancellor, D.C. Public Schools and (Former) Tennessee Commissioner of Education

2013: Julie Jackson (New Jersey ‘94), for her work as the Chief of Schools Officer, K-8, Uncommon Schools

2012: Rhonda Kalifey-Aluise (Houston ‘92), Sarah Newell Usdin (South Louisiana ‘92), Kira Orange Jones (South Louisiana ‘00), for their work as Executive Director, KIPP New Orleans; Board Member, Orleans Parish School Board; and (Former) Executive Director, Teach For America Greater New Orleans

2011: Mike Johnston (Greater Delta ‘97), for his work as (Former) State Senator, Colorado

2010: Tim Daly (Baltimore ‘99), for his previous work on the Widget Effect at TNTP (formerly known as The New Teacher Project)

2009: Jeremy Beard (Los Angeles ‘95), JoAnn Gama (Rio Grande Valley ‘97) and Tom Torkelson (Rio Grande Valley ‘97), for their work as the Head of Schools, YES Prep Public Schools; Co-Founder, (Former) President and Superintendent, IDEA Public Schools; Co-Founder and (Former) CEO, IDEA Public Schools

2008: Cami Anderson (Los Angeles ‘93), for her work as (Former) Superintendent, New York City Department of Education

2007: Michelle Rhee (Baltimore ‘92), for her previous work at TNTP (formerly known as The New Teacher Project

Press Contact: Reshma Melwani

949-294-9459

reshma.melwani@teachforamerica.org

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About Teach For America 

Teach For America works in partnership with communities across the country to expand educational opportunities for children. Founded in 1990, Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a diverse network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. Today, Teach For America is a force of 70,000 alumni, corps members, and Ignite fellows working in pursuit of profound systemic change so that one day every child has an equal opportunity to learn, lead, thrive, and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.