Eight of this year’s Ithaca College graduates will increase Ithaca College’s alumni presence in Teach for America classrooms next year.
Teach for America, the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools, received a record 17,000 applications for its 2005 teaching corps. A record 36 Ithaca College seniors applied, representing a 29 percent increase in the number of Ithaca applicants.
From this large pool of high-quality applicants, Teach for America accepted eight outstanding Ithaca College seniors who will teach in low-income communities across the nation this fall. These eight graduates will bring Ithaca College’s alumni presence in Teach for America from 19 to 27, a 42 percent increase.
While Teach for America’s nationwide 2005 admissions statistics are not final, previous trends indicate that Ithaca College seniors were accepted at a significantly higher rate than the national average. The program is highly selective, with approximately 16 percent of total applicants gaining admission in 2004, nationwide. Ninety-three percent of those accepted held leadership positions on their campuses or in their communities and on average, earned GPAs of 3.5.
“I applied to Teach for America because I want to be part of a movement in which I can make a real difference in the fight to end educational inequity,” said Cari Zebrowski, an Ithaca College senior who worked on Teach for America’s on-campus recruitment campaign this year. Zebrowski will teach elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the fall. “I know it will be challenging, but this is my opportunity to step up and actually do something to help solve a serious problem that my generation needs to address. It’s exciting to know that there are so many other Ithaca College seniors who feel the same way, who realize that we need to do something for students growing up without the educational opportunities they deserve.”
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.
About Teach for America
Teach for America is the national corps of outstanding college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in low-income urban and rural communities and 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.
