PersonalProfile

Name:KelseyBrown
Age:22
Employer:TeachForAmerica
Occupation:EighthgradeliteratureteacheratDemocracyPrepCharterMiddleSchool,Harlem,
N.Y.
DurationofEmployment:Almostoneyear

ThoughtsonworkingforTeachforAmerica:TFAprovidesavaluableeducationtostudents
wholiveinhighneedurbanandruralareas,thataremostatriskforcrime,poverty,
unemploymentandlowliteracyrates.Ifeelsoprivilegedtobeapartoftheselectfewofcollege
graduatesthatareabletoinfluenceandmentortheseatriskstudents,andshowthemthe
opportunitiesahighschoolandcollegeeducationcanprovide.

Previousworkexperience:InpreparationforTFA,Iworkedasacampuscampaigncoordinator
forTFAatElonUniversityforoneyear.Inaddition,Iservedasauniversitytourguide,whereI
gainedgreatinterpersonalcommunicationskills.ServingasthemanagerforLocalYogurtfor
twoyears,Iwasabletohonemyorganizationalskillsaswellaslearnhowtocollaboratewith
individualsandstudentrunorganizations.

FromtheHallsofElontoHarlem:StudentsMissiontoLessenEducationalInequality

Steppingoutonto95thavenuebetweensecondandthird,twentytwoyearoldKelseyBrown
beginsherjourneyfromherUpperEastSideapartment,toDemocracyPrepCharterMiddle
SchoolinHarlem,N.Y.Brownsjourneystartsat6:25a.m.whensheboardsthem102bus
headedtoHarlem.

BrownisoneoffiveteachersatDemocracyPrepCharterMiddlethatsfirstyearTeachFor
Americaeducators.Theorganizationfoundedin1989byWendyKoppcarefullyselectsrecent
collegegraduatesfromacompetitivepoolofapplicationstobecometeachersinlowincome
communities.

IthinkthatTFAisagoodprogramthatgetsteachersintohighneedschools.Brownsays,
eventhoughwedonothavealotoftraining,withoutustheremaynotbeateacherforthese
students.

BrowngraduatedwithadegreeinhistoryandbusinessfromElonUniversity.Itcameasa
shocktomanyofmypeersthatIwantedtobeateacher.ShesaidshealwaysknewIwantedto
makeadifferenceinacommunitythatneededteachers.

Throughouthercollegiateyears,Brownwasinvolvedinmyactivitiesandsocietiesincludingthe
IsabellaCannonLeadershipProgramSigmaKappaSororityandChildrenoftheAmerican
Revolution.WhenBrownwasntjugglinghercourseworkandthreeoncampusjobs,shetutored
ElonstudentsinpreparationforTFA.

KelseyBrownonherfirstdayofteachingatDemocracyPrepCharterMiddleSchoolinHarlem,N.Y.

AsastudentwithADD,Ivealwaysstruggledacademically,saysJuniorSydneyholmes.
Kelseyisthefirsttutorthathashelpedmakesenseofmycourseworkandmadeitenjoyable.I
canonlyimaginetheimpactsheshavingonthoseyoungkids.

Holmes,20,isoneoftheseveralstudentsthatBrowntutoredatElon.Brownsaid,MyElon
experiencesandeducationprovidedmewithgreattoolsforteaching,addingthatnothing
couldvepreparedmetrulyforthehelpTFAstudentsneed.

BrowngrewupinWilton,Connecticut.Thepublicschoolsystemsinmyareaaregreat,and
reallyprovidedmewithagreateducationthatpreparedmeforcollege,shesays.Reflecting
onmyacademiaexperiencescomparedtomystudentsinHarlem,itbroughttolighttheseverity
oftheissueofeducationinequality.

AccordingtotheTFAwebsite,therearemorethan16millionchildrengrowingupinpovertyin
theUnitedStates,andofthem,oneinthreewontgraduatefromhighschool.

VeronicaSeidner22,afellowTFAeducatoratDemocracyPrep,notedthatlikeBrown,Iwas
shockedatthelackofsupplies,teachers,books,attendance,andparentalinvolvementandcare.

Seidnersays,Manyoftheseyoungstudentsfallvictimtogangactivitybefore8thgrade,and
weretheironlyhopeatkeepingthemsafeandinschool.

Whenaskedwhatsomeofherbiggestchallengesare,Brownsays,Itsmostdefinitelythetime
constraintsofteachinginahighperformingcharterschool.Theschooldayendsat5:30inan
efforttokeepkidsoffthestreets,soitschallengingmaintainingstudentengagementthroughout
thewholeday.

VanityIshaqoneofMs.Brownsstudentsengagedindailyclassworkassignments

Brown'seffortsarenotonlyprovidingeducationtostudentsinhighneedsurbanandrural
schools,butshesraisingawarenesstothiseducationalinequality.

Someofhereffortsincludeablogshesdeveloped,whichchroniclesherdaytodayteaching,
andshedslightonthestrugglesherstudentsface.Throughthisblog,Brownraisesfundsforthe
school,whichareallocatedforthepurchaseofschoolsupplies,booksandcomputers.


AlthoughsheisnolongerastudentatElonUniversity,Brownhasinfluencedandencouraged
manyElonstudentstojoinTFA.

KelseyreallymadeanefforttorecruitcurrentstudentsforTFAdemonstratingtheneedfor
teachers,andhowmuchanimpactwecanreallyhave,MariaHaymond,whoiscurrently
waitingforherschoolplacementbyTFA.

BrownisenteringhersecondandfinalyearwithTFAthisfall,Iwouldalsoliketofinda
leadershiproleintheschool,shesaid.EventuallyIseemyselfworkingtowardbecomingpart
ofschooladministrationorleadershippositions.

Researchfroma2015GallupstudyindicatethatAfricanAmericanshaveanunemploymentrate
of10.2percent,almostdoublethe4.7percentofwhites.TFAeducatorssuchasMs.Brownare
fightingtoclosethisgapbyofferingqualityeducationtominoritystudentswhoarevictimsof
theircommunitiespoorschools.

WhilethesefactsandstatisticscandepressanddisheartenmanyAmericans,Brownfinds
motivationinthisdatatodobetterandbebetterforherstudents.

Ifanything,teachingsofarhastaughtmethevalueininterpersonalrelationshipsandthe
importanceofmeetingpeoplebeyondthosewhomyounormallywouldinteractwith,shesays.


Browncallsuponcollegeeducatedindividualstohelpchangethesystem,andshatter
stereotypesIhaveheardaboutmystudents'demographics,thathavetrulyalteredmyperception
ofpovertyandeducationinAmerica.

Contactinformationofsources:

KelseyBrown:kbrown44@elon.edu,2032536891

SydneyHolmes:sholmes5@elon.edu,5085050444

VeronicaSeidner:2406885620

MariaHaymond:2404239141

GallupPoll