Honors student continues his impact after graduation with Teach For America
October 24, 2018
After graduation, honors student, Psychology major, and 2017-2018 Scribendi Editor-in-Chief , Joshua Rysanek, will make his impact with Teach For America. As a 2019 corps member in Los Angeles, California, Josh will become part of a network of 56,000 Teach For America corps members and alumni who are working to dismantle systemic inequities in education and beyond in low-income communities across the country.
Out of the 16 million children growing up in poverty in this country, only 14% are graduating from college within eight years of earning a high school diploma. Students growing up in disenfranchised communities often lack access to resources and opportunities and attend schools that are not equipped to meet all their needs. This is educational inequity at play, and solving it will determine whether this nation thrives for generations to come. Teach For America is a diverse network of leaders who confront educational inequity from all levels of the system. This starts by teaching for at least two years in a low-income community, and then working with unwavering commitment from every sector of society throughout their careers to create a nation free from this injustice. As educators, advocates, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and community members, corps members and alumni fight for the aspirations of students and families. When asked why he is committing to join Teach For America’s network of changemakers after graduation, Josh says:
“Every weekday, kids get up, get dressed, and go to school in our nation’s public schools—public schools that are not equal in terms of facilities, curriculum, and enrichment opportunities. In the world’s richest country, a system which deprives communities, deprives children, of something as basic as an equitable education is wrong. I was always taught that education was the means to pursuing a fulfilling life. I saw Teach For America as a way to take action on an issue that often arose in discussion in many of my classes—I saw a way to intervene and call attention to a broken system. I saw an organization committed to its goal of dismantling educational inequity and committed to its values of diversity, humility, and inclusivity, which I share. I applied to put myself in uncomfortable situations so I might grow and better understand, firsthand, the injustices into which many are born.”
If you’re interested in learning more about Teach For America as a next step for you after graduation, reach out to your UNM Teach For America representative, Alexis Chamberlin, at alexis.chamberlin@teachforamerica.org. You can also reach out to UNM’s Teach For America student intern, Jorge Rios, at jzetina21@unm.edu. To explore more about Teach For America’s mission and alumni network, and to start an application, visit www.teachforamerica.org.
