why i did teach for america

and just like that, 

i'm done with 

teach for america.

 2 years of challenging, 

eye-opening, 

humbling, hard, 

funny, & meaningful 

experiences. 

i'm so glad i did it...

but even more glad to be 

done and moving on

with everything this

experience has taught

me. here are some

highlights and reasons

why i did it.

i never planned to teach, i didn't study
education, i never dreamed i'd be in a 
classroom. but i heard the statistics of
students who were denied a decent 
education because of the zip code they 
were born in. i saw the numbers and 
heard the experiences and couldn't 
ignore it. my education is one of my
most prized possessions, and as i
finished my undergrad i knew i had
to give back before diving into my
career. i knew it would be hard, but i
knew it would change and push me
and make me feel like i was making a
difference and doing something 
meaningful. i wasn't a perfect teacher,
i had hard days, i had hard situations,
but every night i went to bed knowing
i at least helped one student for their
future. i may have taught reading and
math and writing and history, but i
really taught my students that someone
cared about them and that there
are so many possibilities open to them --
something they truly didn't seem to know.
i taught them life skills, confidence, &
people skills & got to know them. i heard
about their friends and weekends 
and families and worries and favorite
things. i came to love them and although
i am ready to move on from this experience,
it will stick with me forever. it changed
my perspectives and opened my eyes.

"i believe that education, more than anything, 
will change this world. it transcends party 
lines, divisions between culture and country--
it is the great equalizer... in the best possible way."

reasons why i LOVED teach for america:

i got to:

• encourage students to DREAM BIG
• positively impact our future generation
• have a sense of purpose and that i was doing something that helped others
• be one of the main caring people in some student's lives
• experience SO much growth
• realize i can do hard things
• learn so much about myself
• get my master's degree
• meet amazing new people
• give back
• get perspective and understanding about the world of education
• pay it FORWARD

^^ couldn't agree more. if there's one thing i learned,

it's that students are all unique and you need to get

to know them in order to have a relationship and

be able to help them learn in their own way.

^^ started getting tagged in pictures

all over facebook and instagram once the

last day hit... haha, oh no they found me!

^^ my TFA group who made it through grad school with me!!

^^ flowers and final chat on the last day.

^^ this will no longer be my life, but 

i'm sure glad it was part of it.

see the start of TFA when chase did it with me,

a video and recap of our first year here...

the time i took my students on a google field trip,

the night i met TFA founder wendy kopp,

and some inspiration i found my 2nd year.

lastly-- my grad school graduation that i 

was able to do at night during TFA!

whew! can't wait to unwind :)

^^ i definitely teared up at the graduation.

so proud of my students + can't believe it's over!

 thanks for changing my life, TFA!

now for some summer before the next thing.

xo