ChenRu Zheng
Age: 22 Graduate of: Iowa State University Excerpt from letter of intent: “The progress America seeks lies in…politics that involve the exchange of pluralistic thoughts—an exchange that I believe is most well served by proliferating it in young classrooms of low-income communities.” Memorable teacher: “My political science professor at Iowa State. I would dare to say he’ll be the best teacher I’ll ever have. He used the Socratic method to challenge students to develop their own intuition toward rational argumentation. This intuition defines who I am today.” Why TFA? “For me, it was kind of a last-minute decision—and perfect. I thought I’d start work at a graphic-design publisher. But TFA’s values and mission are exactly what I was looking for.” Guinea pig: “This summer, I’m part of a new model of teaching. I teach seventh-grade math with another teacher, but only support the low-performing half of the class, about 10 students. Not a lot of school districts are doing this yet, but they look to TFA to see if it works.” Classroom personality: “I’m an art and design geek. I will visually and interactively design my classroom and my lessons.” Signature phrase: “I say cool a lot. Hopefully, kids these days still use that word.” Background: Born in China, raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her parents are in the food-trading business. At 14, she started working as a server at her parents’ Chinese restaurant. Languages: English, French, Spanish, Cantonese What she’ll teach: Special education Five years from now: “I see myself in Japan for various reasons. I have an Asian-language background, would like to learn Japanese, also have a design background, and am fascinated with their design culture.” In closing: “I am very serious about learning time.”



Paul J. Levy
Age: 21 Graduate of: University of Tennessee, Knoxville Excerpt from letter of intent: “The greatest lesson I learned [from teachers and coaches] was not a math formula, or how to compete under the most strenuous conditions, but the realization that the greatest joy comes from helping others.” Memorable teachers: “My dad—he taught me math. And my mom. They homeschooled us for six years. We went every day of the week, 6 to 4 every day, all year round. I learned some awesome things. That’s why I’m so young and started college young, too.” Why TFA? “In my senior year, I was trying to figure out what to do, something my heart was in. I was going to move to Kauai. Then, in the span of a couple of days, I heard about TFA from seven different people. I thought, ‘Oh, this is something meaningful.’” Eye-opener: “A 10th grader brought back her algebra homework, and nothing was done right. So we had to do it all together. You can see in her eyes the desire to learn, but she wasn’t able to add or subtract.” Making $40K a year: “I love peanut butter and jelly, and I’m not addicted to coffee. I’ll make it work.” Meet the parents: “We’re going to be real close, me and the family. From day one.” Classroom personality: “I’m so up. I really believe that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be right now. But at the end of the day, it’s their test, their paper. They’ve got to make it happen. And they can.” Background: Raised in Franklin, Tennessee. His mother recently graduated from nursing school and works in a pediatrician’s office. His father runs a medical-equipment company that he started 20 years ago. Language: English What he’ll teach: High school math Five years from now: “Law school is a big possibility. I went into mechanical engineering in college because I liked intellectual-property law. But right now I’m having trouble seeing an hour ahead.” In closing: “Kids really want to relate to things. I had a teacher who would just put assignments on the board and say, ‘Read this.’ She didn’t apply it to anything. And it was geometry—all those cool shapes!”



Robyn Gee
Age: 22 Graduate of: University of Chicago Excerpt from letter of intent: “As a student, teacher, and tutor, I have learned that it takes more than intelligence to be an effective teacher, but compassion for individual ways of learning, and a willingness to adapt.” Memorable teacher: “Ms. Fonte, in American Lit at Berkeley High. She truly critiqued my writing. She’s one reason I have passion for literature. In poetry, I was so excited by reading Gary Soto. He is local, so I called and interviewed him.” Why TFA? “Teaching was never part of the plan. I was looking at publishing or journalism. But the campus TFA recruiter contacted me individually and said, ‘Just come chat with me.’ It was an easygoing conversation. He piqued my interest.” Classroom personality: “I’m trying to figure it out right now. But whatever task I’m doing becomes a mission, whether it’s a ballet performance or teaching.” What failure would look like: “If a student walks away from class—any day—feeling bad about themselves.” Signature phrase: “Dude, that’s awesome.” Background: Born in San Francisco and raised in Berkeley. Her mother is a professor of special education at Sacramento State. Her father is a physical therapist at Summit Hospital in Oakland. Languages: English, Italian What she’ll teach: Middle or high school English Five years from now: Teaching or journalism In closing: “I expect to overwork myself.”



Evan Perkiss
Age: 21 Graduate of: Lewis & Clark College Excerpt from letter of intent: “When we improve our nation’s classrooms and playgrounds, broader and even more powerful social change will follow.” Memorable teacher: “Miss Jusaitis, in the sixth grade. She got me incredibly interested in reading history as an unending story. You could tell the time she put into our lessons. She changed my life.” Why TFA? “My friend Nora’s emails from her TFA experience in North Carolina were inspiring. It showed me that it’s not just superheroes out there making change.” How he’ll get every kid to jump 1.5 grade levels in a year: “I’ll openly admit to the students that it’ll be difficult all year long. Kids respond best when you treat them like adults.” Classroom personality: “I get really animated, talk with my hands. They may make fun of my passion for fractions a bit.” Signature phrase: “My friends call it the Evan fade-in, where my voice just gets higher and fades out at the end of a sentence—like it’s a question, even though it’s not.” Background: Raised in Petaluma. His mother is an elementary school teacher. His father is the deputy superintendent for Napa County Schools. Language: English What he’ll teach: K–8 Five years from now: Bay Area teacher and/or administrator. “Once I get into the classroom, I’ll see where the most change is needed.” In closing: “I respect that it’s an emotional investment, that it will be 14-hour day. TFA respects that I get that and still want to do it.”



Masharika Prejean
Age: 26 Graduate of: Tulane University; the University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs Excerpt from letter of intent: “A flourishing mind only occurs when allowed to blossom through the passion of one’s spirit. I hope to nourish the minds and hearts of students as a TFA corps member.” Memorable teacher: “Ms. McBride, in first grade. I remember the sense of responsibility that she instilled in us: We choose or choose not to stick to the path to success. It was on us.” Even more memorable teacher: “My mom helped me with homework every day.” How she’ll get kids to jump 1.5 grade levels in a year: “We’re going to have a big goal imprinted on the wall: From day 1 to 20 to 50, they are going to see it every day.” Classroom personality: “They’ll say, ‘She just doesn’t sit down. She’s always on us, never lets us take a break.’” Signature phrase: “Coming from Louisiana, I like to drop a y’all every now and then.” Background: Raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. She served on secretary of state Condoleezza Rice’s staff. Her mother is a school psychologist. Her father is an economic consultant who is deeply involved in community affairs. Languages: English, some Spanish What she’ll teach: Fourth grade at Willie L. Brown Jr. College Prep­aratory Academy Five years from now: A classroom teacher, an educational advocate, or serving on a board of an educational organization in San Francisco. “I love this city.” In closing: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”



Nathan Geller
Age: 22 Graduate of: Princeton University Excerpt from letter of intent: “I wish…to stride beyond contemplation and address the seed of the issue at the schools where it is sown.” Memorable teacher: “Ms. Maebori, in third and fourth grade, introduced me to origami as part of her unit on Japan. I loved it. I woke up at 5 a.m. and did origami before school. I’m thinking about writing a book about origami. I would dedicate it to her.” Why TFA? “My private Quaker school was about 75 percent Caucasian, with a lot of affluent families, but it was located in a predominantly African American Philly neighborhood. There was a clear tension: All the kids at my school went to college, but the public schools in the area were only graduating about half the class. Why weren’t these kids afforded the education I was getting?” Eye-opener: “I’ve got 25 eighth graders this summer. By far, when I’m with them, it’s the best 95 minutes of each day.” Background: Raised in the Philadelphia area. In high school, he founded an organization that took high school athletes to Latin America and India to deliver equipment, offer clinics, and stay in local homes; in college, he did extensive fieldwork in Costa Rica for his biology thesis. His mother is the assistant director of admissions at his K–12 school. His father is a pediatric radiologist at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. Languages: English, Spanish What he’ll teach: Middle or high school biology Five years from now: Educator, school administrator, or medical student in pediatrics. “This year will greatly inform my decision.” In closing: “I thought I could present my lessons with just a few notes. But TFA is all about complete, thorough written lessons. And they know more about it than I do.”



Dave Sherer
Age: 23 Graduate of: Pomona College Excerpt from letter of intent: “I think TFA can make a huge positive impact [by] bringing in the motivated and passionate teachers that are so sorely needed.” Memorable teacher: “My eighth-grade English teacher, Mr. Q. It was a tough-love situation, and at first I bristled. He had a frizzy mop of red hair. He drilled the five-paragraph essay into us. He basically taught me how to write.” Eye-opener: “Sometimes the brightest students can also be the most disruptive.” Understatement: “I expect that my students will face problems outside of the classroom I haven’t experienced, and that that will be educational for me.” Making $40K a year: “I’ll live frugally. On my open days, I’ll strap my surfboard to my car and go explore. I’ll want to spend my money on my classroom. There are always materials to buy.” How he’ll get kids to jump 1.5 grade levels in a year: “Tell them straight up that they’re behind grade level, and where I’d like them to be. That’ll be abstract for them, so then I’ll tell them in practical terms: ‘You need to read two books per week. You need to come meet with me outside of class.’” Classroom personality: “I’m a drummer. I’m really excited to bring in drums and percussion and connect rhythm patterns to syllables and to math.” Reading: Poetry by Billy Collins, Sailing Alone Around the Room Signature phrase: “‘Nice.’ It’s an emphatic nice.” Background: Raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey. His mother is a fourth-grade teacher (“She’s a master”). His father is a New York City investment banker. Languages: English, some Spanish Where he’ll teach: Special education at Tenderloin Elementary Five years from now: “I picture myself as a really skillful special-ed teacher in San Francisco, in a supportive school community, with a bunch of good friends who are teachers as well.” In closing: “The educational system’s problems invoke in me a passion to fix it.”



Aliza Aufrichtig
Age: 21 Graduate of: Harvard University Excerpt from letter of intent: “I want to allow my students the opportunity to make choices concerning their own futures, instead of being forced into unwanted paths.” Memorable teacher: “My fourth-grade Horizons teacher, Mrs. Irene Toodey. I did my individual research project on greeting-card companies, and she took me to a SoHo paper shop so I could get fancy materials to make my own cards. I actually recently lived with her for a few months.” Eye-opener: “This summer, I had very advanced discussions with my students about T.S. Eliot and Edgar Allan Poe. But when I read the students’ writing, the language was below grade level and the structure didn’t make sense. The thinking is there, but they’ve never been taught to write.” Classroom personality: “I’m prone to bad puns, which is suited to being an English teacher—and to being made fun of for it.” Secret weapon: “I draw political cartoons. I’m a big proponent of using visual satire in the classroom.” What failure would look like: “If students felt they hadn’t been pushed hard enough. I remember thinking high school was easy.” Background: Raised in Westchester County, New York. Her mother is a homemaker, and her father is a patent attorney. Languages: English, French, Spanish What she’ll teach: High school English Five years from now: “Maybe education, maybe cartooning. If I were to be cartooning, that makes people laugh each day, and that’s important.” In closing: “It’s a nerve-racking thought: ‘These are your students. They are in your hands.’ Their success is up to me.”



John Rodrigues
Age: 38 Graduate of: UC Berkeley; one year as a visiting undergraduate at Harvard University Excerpt from letter of intent: “I tell my students that success is not a destination, it is a direction. And if they want to change the direction in which their life is going, they need to start anywhere and start right now.” Memorable teacher: “My eighth-grade history teacher, Mr. Slotzsky. He told me that with my talents for breaking down issues and analyzing things, I should be in a top college.” His own dyslexia: “There was no system of accommodations when I was in high school, so it failed me. Once I got the accommodations I needed at Berkeley, everything cleared up. I was getting As and Bs—it was unbelievable. I want to do the same for other kids: get them tested and get them the help they need. I want to change their lives.” Meet the parents: “I know most teachers call home regarding bad things. I’ll call with good things.” Classroom personality: “I’ll go in with overwhelming confidence. I’ll have perhaps more confidence than the students will have, and I’ll express how much I think they can do.”
Signature phrase: “‘That’s right!’ When students get things, I’m so excited, I’ll say it loud or drag it out.” Background: Raised in Fullerton. His mother was a lab tech at St. Jude hospital. His father was a nurse but now runs a home healthcare bus­iness. Rodrigues worked for years carving ice sculptures on cruise ships. Language: English What he’ll teach: Special education Five years from now: A lawyer, advocate, or school board member fighting for equal opportunity for people with mild to moderate disabilities In closing: “We’ll go in and change the dynamics.”



Caroline Mar
Age: 25 Graduate of: Smith College Excerpt from letter of intent: “Every day [as a TFA campus recruiter, her previous job], I come to work to tell other people why their decision to enter the classroom is absolutely vital. I believe myself. This is work that I need to do.” Memorable teacher: “My Chinese-immersion kindergarten teacher, Liana Szeto, now the principal at Alice Fong Yu. On day one, I didn’t speak any Cantonese at all. I gave her a little bit of a hard time. But she stuck with me. She laid the foundation for me being bilingual.” Why TFA? “I did social-justice work in college. I knew that whatever I did would be toward the goal of making our nation a more equitable place.” Eye-opener: “Kids are not predictable. If they aren’t getting it, I need to be able to instantly change the way I’m talking about the subject. You have to be flexible.” Meet the parents: “If a kid’s grandmother happens to be their role model and I get her involved, I’ve just gotten the kid more invested.” Signature phrase: “This is going to be amazing!” Background: Raised in San Francisco and Palo Alto; graduated from Palo Alto High. Her mother works for Alameda County’s Central Labor Council. Her father teaches labor studies and community studies and runs the vocational education program at City College. “I was raised by activists.” Languages: English, Cantonese, Spanish What she’ll teach: Special-education social studies at International Studies Academy In closing: “I’m so glad to come home and teach where I grew up. I just told TFA, ‘Bay Area, Bay Area, please put me in the Bay Area.’”



Hansel Palarca
Age: 23 Graduate of: UC Santa Cruz Excerpt from letter of intent: “It is so crucial that every person has equal access to education.” Memorable teacher: “Mrs. Cosmos, at my K–8 school. I remember how passionately she cared about the students. She wasn’t there to be a body in the room.” Eye-opener: “One student wrote in her journal about how passionate she was about getting an education, wanting to succeed, not wanting to give up. But when I assessed her one-on-one, she couldn’t read at the third-grade level. She’s in sixth grade, and she’s got so many barriers. One third-grade word that she missed was precious. She could use it. But she wasn’t able to read it.” Classroom personality: “I grew up here in San Francisco as an immigrant and a person of color. I may not live their life, but I’ll make sure they know I have an idea of what they’re going through.” Signature phrase: “‘There are larger social systems at work here!’ I’m always getting into discussions about issues with my friends, and they quote that back to me. It’s kind of a joke, but kind of not.” Background: Raised in San Fran­cisco. His father emigrated from the Philippiines to the U.S. first; Hansel, his mother, and his sister followed when Hansel was six. His father works at the Hyatt in Union Square. His mother works as a cashier at Whole Foods. Languages: Tagalog, English What he’ll teach: Seventh-grade math and science at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Middle School Five years from now: Educator and graduate student In closing: “I don’t see how anyone couldn’t be passionate about this issue.”



Sepideh Mousakhani
Age: 22 Graduate of: UC Berkeley Excerpt from letter of intent: “I worked [as a tutor] with children abandoned by the education system, children who have been looked upon as failures their entire lives.” Memorable teacher: “My high school Spanish teacher, Ms. Cas­tillo. She was phenomenal: her strategies, her passion, her commitment. She took the extra step to tutor kids outside of school. She really cared about helping every student learn.” Why TFA? “It’s not just that they have the vision. Their organization and structure are amazing. They’re constantly reevaluating and revamping. Working with them is not an opportunity I’d pass up.” Meet the parents: “If they don’t speak English, if they’re working all the time, it doesn’t mean I can’t meet them on their 15-minute break and communicate with them. Those aren’t roadblocks. They’re just speed bumps that we need to work through.” Classroom personality: “I’m extremely, overly enthusiastic about learning—pretty much the biggest nerd that ever was. Hopefully, they will love me anyway.” Signature phrase: “I believe in every single one of you.” Background: Raised in Burlingame. Her mother is a former real estate agent. Languages: English, Farsi, Spanish, American sign language What she’ll teach: K–8 Five years from now: Law school, a master’s in public policy, or teaching. “I want a relentless pursuit towards something I believe in—of course, being humble and respectful.” In closing: “Passion infused with intelligence brings work to life.”