No Longer TFA Corps Members, But Alumni

On Thursday, Michelle and I both officially became Teach For America alumni. One of the speakers at our Alumni Induction event said that being a TFA alumni instead of a TFA corps member has quite a different ring to it -- and I agree completely. For the past two years Michelle and I have dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy towards TFA duties, responsibilities, and other activities. Just to name a few of our TFA duties and obligations, over the past two years we spent 5 weeks in Philadelphia training for what felt like 24 hours a day, sacrificed many Saturdays to attend professional developments, and we have been enrolled in grad school earning master's degrees the whole time. It hasn't sunk in completely yet that we no longer have any TFA responsibilities; we are no longer TFA corps members, but instead we are TFA alumni.

Michelle and I could literally write encyclopedias regarding the past two years with TFA. How we ended up joining TFA, the ups and downs of working in an inner-city school district, and how much we have learned and grown by having made the decision to join TFA are all lengthy topics. All I will say here though is that after having gone through the entire TFA process, from start to finish, I cannot think of a single bad thing to say about Teach For America. I truly mean that. I am thankful for the opportunity they gave me to join their organization and become a teacher. It has afforded Michelle and I both many opportunities to work and further our educations and grow in infinite ways. I would recommend joining TFA to anyone and everyone.

Its hard to believe that this chapter of our lives is over. I think though in many ways it is not over, and will never be over, because I am sure the impact that doing something like this has on you shapes the direction of your life forever.