Teach For America released its seventh annual list of schools that contribute the greatest number of alumni to the teaching corps.
The 2014 list shows UF as one of the top contributing schools in the nation. This is the seventh year the university has received that distinction.
Dana Cronyn, Teach For America’s director of campus communications, said UF has always been a significant contributor to the corps.
“One of the reasons why UF consistently makes the list is because UF students always seek to make an impact,” she said.
Sixty-five UF alumni will join this year’s corps of about 5,300 new members. These Gators will impact more than 5,500 students, Cronyn said.
Stephanie Salazar, a 22-year-old UF alumna, originally intended to go to law school after graduation. However, after hearing a presentation by Teach For America campus recruiters, her plans changed.
“I never realized how many kids were living in poverty in our country,” she said. “I thought it was a great opportunity to reach those kids.”
This year’s corps is the most diverse in the program’s history, according to a Teach For America press release.
Of the 5,300 new members, about half are people of color, 47 percent received Pell Grants, and one-third were the first in their families to attend college.
Cronyn said the organization has made increasing teacher diversity a priority.
Jane Vicens, a 24-year-old UF alumna and Teach For America member, said corps members can support and network with others around the country. This network extends to the 37,000 Teach For America alumni who are still working in the education field, and 400 of them are Gators, Cronyn said.
“(The best part about being a teacher with Teach For America) is the fact you work for an organization that stands for educational reform,” Vicens said. “You’re a part of a greater mission, and every day, you’re working toward that.”
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 9/10/2014 under the headline "UF makes Teach for America list for most corps teachers for seventh time "]
