Wiltonian Kelsey Brown has been accepted into the 2015 teaching corps of Teach For America, a national nonprofit that works with communities to expand educational opportunity for students in low-income communities.
“I decided to apply for Teach for America because I am passionate about creating an equal educational opportunity for all students, regardless of where they live,” said Kelsey, a 2011 Wilton High School graduate.
“I knew I wanted to be part of an organization that helps make this dream possible.”
As a corps member, Kelsey — who graduated from Elon University in Elon, N.C., earlier this year — will teach in a high-need public school in New York.
Kelsey said her experience in the Wilton public school system motivated her to become a teacher.
“I had such an incredible educational experience and am excited to share my passion with my students,” she said in a Teach For America press release. “Thank you to all the teachers in Wilton who inspired me.”
Only 6% of students in the United States’ lowest-income communities will graduate college by the time they are 25, according to Teach For America. In 2014-15, 10,600 corps members taught in 50 urban and rural regions across the country.
As a corps member, Kelsey joins a “group of 50,000 leaders who have raised their hand to be part of ensuring every child has access to an excellent and equitable education,” said Teach For America Co-CEO Elisa Villanueva Beard.
According to Teach For America, not only have “more founders and leaders of entrepreneurial education organizations started careers with [Teach For America] than from any other organization or company,” but “alumni have gone on to become leaders in politics, school systems, nonprofit work, advocacy and more,” forming a “nationwide network helping to expand and strengthen the movement to give all kids access to a great education.”
“I believe that it only takes one person to make a difference in someone else’s life, and I strive to do that in the community where I am teaching,” said Kelsey.
“I try to live by Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.’”
For more information, visit: www.teachforamerica.org.