Gustavus Adolphus College seniors Amanda Lodermeier, a music major from Nelson, Wis., and Carl Ferkinhoff, a physics major from Sartell, Minn., have been accepted into Teach For America, the national corps of outstanding college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools.
More than 17,000 graduating seniors and alumni from across the country applied to the corps this year, a 29 percent increase over the previous year, at a time when jobless claims are the lowest in over four years.
“The application numbers we’re seeing reflect college students’ belief that educational disparities must be our generation’s civil rights issue. College students are saying, ‘I want to do something about this for kids growing up today. I want to be a part of the network of civic leaders who are working together throughout their lives to address this issue in a fundamental way,’” said Elissa Clapp, Teach For America’s vice president of recruitment and selection. “We are looking for accomplished individuals who possess the qualities necessary to not only have an impact on students during their two-year teaching commitment, but to effect long-term educational and social reform in careers across all sectors, including education, law, public policy, healthcare, and business.
Teach For America is highly selective, with approximately 16 percent of total applicants gaining admission in 2004. Ninety-three percent of those accepted held leadership positions on their campuses or in their communities. Also, on average, they earned a 3.5 GPA.
Teach For America actively recruits on more than 500 college campuses, where it seeks applicants from all academic majors, career interests, and backgrounds who demonstrate a record of outstanding achievement in past endeavors, persistence in the face of challenges, and a strong sense of personal responsibility for outcomes.
Teach For America participants become life-long advocates to expand opportunity for children. Corps members go above and beyond traditional expectations to impact the lives of children growing up in low-income communities. Beyond their two years, corps members take their insight and added commitment to assume leadership roles from inside education and from every other sector and to work toward the fundamental changes necessary to provide more equal opportunities for all children in our nation.
Since Teach For America placed its first 500 corps members in classrooms in 1990, more than 12,000 outstanding college graduates have joined its movement to eliminate educational inequity. As of 2005, corps members teach in 22 locations in underserved communities across the country. For more information on Teach For America, please visit www.teachforamerica.org.
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