By Megan Roberto, Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK – For the fifth year in a row, Penn State ranks high in the number of graduating seniors entering Teach For America. Among schools with more than 10,000 students, Penn State posted the seventh-highest numbers this year, up from a rank of 15 last year.
This fall, 64 recent Penn State graduates have joined the corps. The University of California-Berkeley is the No. 1 contributor among large schools with 88 graduates beginning their two-year Teach For America commitment this fall.
Teach For America recruits, trains and supports top college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in the pursuit of educational opportunity for all students. Teach For America recruits on more than 600 college campuses, seeking seniors and graduates from all academic majors and backgrounds who have demonstrated achievement, perseverance and leadership.
“I am very excited that so many Nittany Lions will be leading high-need classrooms this year,”Jeremy Corbett, a Penn State alumnus, 2008 Los Angeles corps member and Teach For America’s recruitment manager on campus, said. “It is a testament to Penn State’s enduring commitment to service.”
Erin Ball, a member of the Penn State class of 2011, joined Teach For America last year and teaches at Manning High School in Manning, S.C.
“I joined Teach For America so I could do my part to ensure that children growing up in poverty have the same shot at a great education as kids in more affluent communities,” Ball said. “As a student at Penn State, I honed the leadership skills that I rely on every day to ensure my English students are striving to meet their incredible potential. I’m thrilled to know that so many of the Penn State class of 2012 are partners in this critical work.”
More than 450 Penn State graduates have entered the teaching profession through Teach For America since the national nonprofit was founded in 1990.
To schedule a meeting with an alum to learn more, please contact megan.roberto@teachforamerica.org or connect through Facebook or Twitter.