CONWAY, Ark. (June 6, 2013) - Four 2013 Hendrix graduates accepted into Teach For America (TFA) begin summer training in preparation for fall.
Teach For America is a non-profit organization that works at every level of education, policy and other professions and whose mission is to "eliminate educational inequity.”
Ieshea Goree ‘13 a psychology major from Crossett, Ark., will teach sixth grade math in St. Louis, Mo.
“I am happy that I will be in St. Louis because there is a large African American group there, and as an African American woman, I feel that I could become a role model for my students,” said Goree.
Goree’s interest in Teach For America was inspired by Hendrix English professor Dr. Alice Hine’s Menifee tutoring program and the Ridin’ Dirty with Science volunteer program at the Boys and Girls Club of Faulkner County.
Armeen Neshat ’13 a double major in history and politics from Jonesboro, Ark., will teach secondary-level social studies in Tulsa, Okla.
“Through my classes and internships, Hendrix allowed me to become better educated about the problems facing the educational system both nationwide and within the state of Arkansas,” said Neshat. “I’ve always been extremely passionate about education-related issues.”
After Neshat serves for two years with the TFA program he plans on pursuing dual master’s degree in urban planning and law.
Delaney Roberts ’13 a double major in English and Spanish from Nashville, Tenn., will teach high school Spanish in Atlanta, Ga.
“I’ve always wanted to do Teach for America,” said Roberts. “It’s a cause I believe in without reservation. At the end of these two years, I want to still be passionate about teaching, and I want to have learned to be a better teacher than I am now.”
Roberts believes this is her life’s work.
“I would love to be in the classroom for 40 years. If that doesn’t happen, I hope to always stay connected to the fight for educational justice,” she said.
Lindsey Wiggin ’13, a philosophy major from New Boston, N.H., will be teaching elementary education in Philadelphia, Pa.
She became interested in Teach for America during her sophomore year at Hendrix when she realized her calling was to work with children.
“As I started researching and reading more about TFA I found that I wholeheartedly agreed with their mission and their belief that education was an issue of social justice and equity,” she said. “As I connected to the vision of TFA I knew that this was what I wanted to do with my life after Hendrix. I wanted to help give them the opportunities that are so often denied through a transformative education.”
Wiggin plans on teaching for at least five years.
“No matter what happens in my future,” she said. “I know that I will continue to work with children and that I will always be committed to education reform.”
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. For the fifth consecutive year, Hendrix was named one of the country’s “Up and Coming” liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the 2012 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country’s best 377 colleges, the latest edition of Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges,Forbes magazine's annual list of America's Top 650 Colleges, and the 2013 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.