Max Cuddy, 2012-14 Teach For America Corps Member
Max Cuddy is not one to shy away from challenging issues. As a sophomore at Temple University in Philadelphia, Max participated in the university’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, which brings college students and student prisoners together inside a corrections facility to study issues of social justice. Developing relationships with the prisoners and delving deep into the mutual misconceptions harbored by the college students and convicts permanently altered Max’s worldviews, and the experience inspired Max to pursue an international career in education and social advocacy. In 2011, Max won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to South Africa, where he taught English courses and organized afterschool programs for youth. Today, Max is a Teacher For America fellow serving as a Special Education Teacher at Imhotep Institute Charter High School in the West Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia. Teacher For America provides paid teaching fellowships to high-achieving recent college graduates and professionals who teach for at least two years in low-income communities throughout the United States. We caught up with Max to find out more about his Teach For America experience.
1. What inspired you to apply to Teach For America?
In high school, I began developing a critical consciousness about the pervasive inequalities plaguing our country. This was the primary impetus in my decision to study Sociology and African American Studies in college. I wanted to understand how structural forces shaped and sometimes obstructed opportunity and access. Moreover, I had a fierce desire to work with and for marginalized communities and advocate for social change. Teach for America seemed like a natural, proactive extension of this desire. I wanted to involve myself in an organization that put equity at the forefront of their agenda. As a teacher, I hoped to be an agent of empowerment in the classroom and in the community.
2. What is a typical Teach For America week like?
A Teach for America experience can vary widely depending on where you are and what your placement is. That being said, whatever your individual circumstance, chances are you are going to work your tail off! Especially as a first year teacher, you learn a lot on the job by trying out different methods, content, management styles and work habits. All of this takes tremendous time and effort. Work doesn’t end when the bell rings; nor are weekends completely work-free. Of course, you get much better at handling your many responsibilities over time, but it is demanding!
For all of your work, the benefits of Teacher For America are terrific. The professional development and general mentorship you receive from the staff is vital. Although they aren’t as present as you might think, they are always available when you need them most. In terms of future planning, Teacher For America also has numerous partnerships with universities and employers that offer jobs to alumni. Most importantly, while your students might drive you up the wall at times, they are the ultimate benefit of doing the work we do.
3. What tips would you give to others applying to Teach For America?
Teach for America is looking for capable and ambitious young leaders. You don’t have to possess an education background or even have extensive experience working in urban or rural settings. You must be passionate about educational opportunity and have a demonstrated capacity for leadership.
The application process was three-fold when I applied. There is an online application, a phone interview and a final in-person interview day. I definitely remember fielding numerous questions about different leadership positions I had held in college (student government, student organizations, etc.). I also recall discussing my organizational strengths and weaknesses. Finally, there was the dreaded “sample lesson,” in which you prepare and execute a five minute lesson. If you are confident, engaged and organized, you’ll be a strong candidate.
Max Cuddy grew up in Rochester, NY. Max was in the Honors Program at Temple University and studied Sociology and African American Studies. While in college, Max served as Vice President of the Temple University Student Peace Alliance. After graduating in 2010 he spent a year living in South Africa as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. He returned to Philadelphia and worked as a Program Coordinator for an afterschool program as well as an Adult Educator preparing students for the GED. In the summer of 2012 he started training for Teach for America, and is currently finishing his first year as a Special Education Teacher at Imhotep Institute Charter High School in the West Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia.
© Victoria Johnson 2013, all rights reserved.
Jill Leahy (right) with a teammate at a Martin Luther King Service Day sponsored by City Year New York.
City Year’s motto is give a year, change the world – and that’s exactly what Jill Leahy did. As a member of City Year New York’s 2011-12 corps, Jill dedicated a year to helping at-risk New York City students stay in school and on track to graduation. According to City Year’s website, one million students drop out of school each year, and half of those dropouts come from just 12% of schools. City Year aims to challenge the status quo and dramatically increase the graduation pipeline by providing paid, professional fellowships to motivated people aged 17 to 24 who are dedicated to City Year’s mission. City Year corps members spend a year working in under-resourced schools providing support to 3rd through 9th graders. They also organize and lead activities, celebrations and projects to improve the community and school environment. City Year operates in 24 U.S. locations and with two international affiliates in Johannesburg, South Africa and London, England.
While most of the corps experience is focused on delivering service to students in high-need schools, throughout the year corps members receive training and peer support, including a three to four week orientation in City Year’s Basic Training Academy and a Basic Training Retreat, which offers two to three days of team building, reflection and training. Now a Senior Corps Member at City Year New York, Jill Leahy helps train the next generation of City Year corps members. As the City Year application is approaching on February 15, we asked Jill more about her year of service.
1. What inspired you to apply to City Year and what did you do during your year of service?
Growing up, service and giving back were extremely important to my family. I knew I wanted to take a gap year after college, and I began looking into various programs that focused on education. I have worked with students and children extensively in the past and I was passionate about educational equality. When I discovered City Year, I knew that a program like this would be the perfect fit for me. City Year’s mission, values and goals directly aligned with my own beliefs, especially the idea of “service to a cause greater than self.” After researching City Year and having the opportunity to shadow a team, I was able to see the positive impact corps members were having on students every day. It was apparent to me that a position at City Year would be a life changing experience and would allow me the opportunity to grow as a leader and a professional as I worked within the education system in New York City.
Throughout the course of my corps year in 2011-2012, I had the opportunity to work on a team with ten other corps members in an elementary school in East New York, Brooklyn. We began our day every morning at 7:40 A.M., welcoming students into the school. Throughout the day, we worked with third, fourth, and fifth graders who were considered below grade average or “Tier 2” students. We provided academic support In English and math to students as well as behavior and attendance coaching. Monday through Thursday, we ran an after school program that provided students with extra help in homework, as well as enrichment clubs. Throughout the year, our team planned events for various students and the whole school to create a more positive school atmosphere. City Year also provides corps members time to work on individual leadership. On Fridays, we were provided additional trainings, professional development opportunities and time to reflect on the change that we had been making throughout the year.
2. What was the most eye-opening aspect of the City Year experience?
Before starting City Year, I researched the communities the organization served in New York City and I had a glimpse at the struggles and issues that students in the neighborhoods faced daily. Coming from a town where attending college is the norm, I found it hard to imagine that it could be so different elsewhere. Every day, students are dealing with issues within their community and at home, as well as within their school, that distract them from their academic work. Over one million students drop out of school every year, and working in an elementary school, I was surprised to hear students speak about the poverty, violence and crime that occur every day outside their door. Sadly, things that were happening outside of school lead them to believe that school is not important. Being able to work with these students I was able to better understand where they were coming from and help them understand the importance of education. It was there that I learned that all they truly wanted was a chance to succeed. Overall, having the opportunity to work in such a culturally diverse neighborhood I was able to understand that although our backgrounds and experiences are very different, these students want the same opportunities and the same future that I have been provided.
3. What tips would you give others applying to City Year?
Be serious about dedicating ten months to service. This work is not easy, and the days can be long. Take the time to research the organization, learn more about what a typical day looks like and decide whether City Year is a good fit for you. Corps members are people who have passion and skills including being able to work in teams, being flexible, having strong communication skills and being willing to give all you have to provide the best service for the students and communities that you’ll serve.
City Year is continually growing and is becoming a more competitive program. Take your application seriously and prepare for multiple interviews while upholding yourself in the most professional way. City Year values diversity- use your experiences, your knowledge, and your skills to figure out ways that you can make a difference in a student’s life and why you would make a great corps member. City Year wants young people who are motivated, dedicated and ready to make a difference in schools and in underserved communities. If this sounds like you, you’re already on the right path!
City Year applications are now open! Apply by February 15, 2013.
Jill Leahy is originally from Hanover, Massachussets. She is a 2011 graduate of Hofstra University where she graduated with a business degree with a concentration in management and finance. Jill previously served as a Corps Member with City Year New York in 2012-13. She stayed on as a Senior Corps Member and currently serves as a Team Leader providing training and mentorship to City Year Corps Members. After City Year, she hopes to continue working within the education system while utilizing her business skills.
© Victoria Johnson 2013, all rights reserved.
Chike Aguh, Public Service Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Chike Aguh is a true ProFellow, earning five competitive fellowships since his graduation from Tufts University in 2005. Although short-term in focus, each of the fellowships has provided him skills and opportunities that support his long-term goal: to reimagine and innovate the American education system so that all children and citizens, particularly the poorest, are prepared to be innovators in today’s global economy. This past summer Chike served as a Presidential Public Service Fellow at Harvard University where he is an MBA/MPA student, and used this opportunity to support a federal strategy to train two million Americans with federal job training programs by 2015, among several other initiatives. Intrigued by Chike’s path, we asked him more about his interest in fellowships.
1. Why did you pursue a series of fellowships early in your career?
I grew up the son of two immigrants from Nigeria who came to the United States for educational opportunity and I chose very early in life to devote myself to transforming education systems at home and abroad into ones that can prepare students to be innovators in the twenty first century. As I was graduating from Tufts University as an undergraduate, I was seeking a series of opportunities that would give me four things: Strong knowledge of how decisions in education are made from the 30,000 foot policy level all the way down to the school level; understanding of the work of teachers; international experience and knowledge of global education issues, and; a great network and strong cohort of colleagues that will follow me through my career.
I was blessed to be able to accomplish these objectives through the fellowships in which I was able to participate. The New York City Urban Fellows Program, which takes recent college graduates and places them in high ranking positions in New York City government, placed me in the New York City Department of Education, the world’s largest school system, where I observed and contributed to macro-level decisions. Next, I was a corps member of Teach For America, an organization that places recent college graduates in high-need schools for a two year teaching commitment. During this experience I taught second grade at an elementary school in Brooklyn where I learned what it takes to truly educate children for college, their career and citizenship. Before going back to graduate school, I was also a Fulbright Scholar in Thailand where I taught English as a Foreign Language to middle and high school students. Through Fulbright, I had the opportunity to travel around southeast Asia. These fellowships positioned me well for my future career and have been invaluable experiences.
2. What would you like to do long term and what is your plan to get there?
In the long term, I want to be an innovator, investor and policymaker in the education space. After a career cycling through the private, public and social sectors, I would like to be in a senior policymaking role where I can affect the course of education and human capital policy for United States.
3. What tips would you give others applying to competitive fellowships?
My tips for those applying to competitive fellowships are:
- Have a clear reason for wanting the fellowship. Fellowship admission committees are attuned to those who simply want the fellowship for purpose of boosting his or her resume.
- Speak to former fellows. This will give you a better idea of how to market yourself to the fellowship you are applying to and will also show the reviewers that you are truly interested.
- Pursue fellowships that have a strong network and cohort experience. Beyond the brand equity of these fellowships, the most valuable part of the fellowship is the colleagues you will meet and remain connected to.
After graduating from Tufts University with a B.A. in Political Science, Chike Aguh (pronounced Chee-kay Ah-goo) worked for the New York City Department of Education as a New York City Urban Fellow. He subsequently became a corps member of Teach for America and taught 2nd grade at Excellence Charter School of Bedford-Stuyvesant, the only all-boys elementary charter school in New York City. Chike was also a Fulbright Fellow in Thailand and an Education Pioneer Fellow for the U.S. Department of Education. Chike is a graduate of the Harvard School of Education and is now a graduate student in the joint MBA/MPA program of Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
© Victoria Johnson 2012, all rights reserved.
Luce Scholar Christopher Magoon with his friend and neighbor, Keke
Christopher Magoon, a 2011 Yale University graduate, just returned to the U.S. after a year of exploration and professional development on the Luce Foundation’s Luce Scholars Program. Each year the Luce Scholars Program sends 15-18 young Americans abroad for yearlong, full-time work placements in one of 15 Asian countries. The program was established in 1974 to enhance the understanding of Asia among potential leaders in American society. The program is unique in that is intended for those under age 30 who have had limited to no exposure to Asia. The program provides generous support for language study, travel and living expenses. Christopher Magoon provides his insights on applying to the program to how the experience influenced his career trajectory.
By Christopher Magoon
The Henry Luce Scholars Program was the perfect fit for me. In college, I had positioned myself for a career in public education, but I was hesitant to jump into a teaching job after graduation. I had done enough teaching in college to know how difficult the work is. If I was going to do it, I wanted to make sure I was in for the long haul. The Luce, which places seventeen young professionals in an individually tailored work placement in Asia, allowed me to gain critical work experience while also providing for a year of adventure, travel, and reflection. The Luce gave me a taste of working with education while also gaining an entirely unrelated set of skills. One of the reasons the Luce is so great is because it allows you to gain experience in a given profession in a low-stakes, one-year commitment.
The Luce is an unusual program. All Luce Scholars are placed in an Asian country, but “those who already have significant experience in Asia or Asian studies are not eligible” to apply. Applicants may have taken an Asian language or a few classes that focus on Asia, but any sort of expertise is not permitted. As a result, the Luce is “experiential rather than academic in nature,” which is reflected in the selection process. While a strong academic record is a plus, the qualities of leadership, curiosity, and flexibility are the main selection criteria. The Luce Foundation staff is very supportive during the placement year, but living and working in Asia with a limited cultural and linguistic background is very challenging. Hard days are guaranteed, and The Luce Foundation wants to make sure Luce Scholars are willing to roll with the punches and fulfill their obligations under difficult circumstances. During the selection process, which includes a weekend of finalist interviews in New York City or San Francisco, I emphasized that I get the most out of experiences with steep learning curves and that I have a history of making lemonade out of lemons. I think that helped make me stand out as a candidate.
Immediately after you are selected as a Luce Scholar you begin working with Luce Foundation staff to nail down your placement. They take your input for what kind of work you want to do and in which part of Asia.
I was intrigued by China and I knew I wanted to work in education, so they presented me with a placement with Teach For China, a relatively new NGO that works to close the achievement gap in China by placing recent American and Chinese graduates into underserved classrooms in the Chinese countryside. I then signed a contract saying that I would work with Teach For China during the Luce year, helping to overhaul their teacher evaluation program.
In June all of the Luce Scholars met in New York for a weeklong orientation and soon we went our separate ways, dispersing across Asia to work with a wide range of organizations including human rights law, social entrepreneurship, carbon consulting, journalism, urban planning, library sciences, and evolutionary biology. Before starting the work placement, every Luce Scholar must complete language training in their host country. The Luce Foundation takes language learning seriously and generously covers one-on-one classes for most Scholars with extra funds available for continued study after the work placement begins.
When I began working with Teach For China they were in a period of transition and the new staff struggled to meet the needs of the 100 Teaching Fellows who had just arrived for training. It was a hectic but exciting time filled with many late nights and unglamorous tasks. As the year wore on, I undertook numerous projects including filming classrooms and making a beginner’s Chinese language textbook tailored to English teachers.
While I’m glad I was placed with Teach For China, the most rewarding experiences came outside of work. I lived in a small city in southwestern China named Lincang. There were only a handful of other Americans, so I was more or less on my own. My best friends were a nine-year-old Chinese girl named Keke and her dad, who owned the noodle shop attached to my apartment building, which was a converted worker’s dormitory. After work each day I would sit with my little friend and her dad. I would study Chinese, she would do her homework, and he would prepare the noodle shop for its nighttime customers. As my Chinese improved I began making other friends, eventually joining an adult soccer league and hiking group. Soon I spent every night out with my new Chinese community. There were certainly some frustrating days, but generally speaking I was in awe of my good fortune to be embedded with “real China” during the country’s period of meteoric change. I was there long enough to see the city and its citizens undergo various transformations. Everyday there was a new part of town to explore, and as my Chinese got better, I was able to understand more about my friends’ lives.
Still, I was happy to get out of Lincang from time to time. One of the best parts about the Luce is that you have sixteen other Luce Scholars scattered across the continent who are excellent travel companions. They have had similar struggles, and it is illuminating to see the lives they’ve carved for themselves in their own corner of Asia. As I visited the Luce Scholars in Korea, Hong Kong, India, Thailand, and Japan throughout the year and we discussed our experiences, I came to understand China in the larger context of Asia.
One of the most common discussion topics with other Luce Scholars was how our experience in our placement country has impacted our own career plans. For many, the Luce year solidified their career paths. For me, though, the Luce year made me realize that I did not want to work in education in the immediate future. Instead, living in China helped me to realize the importance of medicine and public health and pushed me towards being a doctor. Many of the students we taught did not have access to clean drinking water and sanitation was generally lacking. Most of my friend’s jobs were labor intensive, which clarified the relationship between people’s productivity and their health. The Luce expanded my horizons and helped me to realize that I could go beyond education to have a positive impact on people’s lives. The Luce year was marvelous for many reasons, but I will always be thankful that I had the opportunity to try out my planned career in such a unique and fruitful environment.
Jonthon Coulson, 2011-12 English Language Fellow in Indonesia
Jonthon Coulson pursued a series of competitive fellowships to put himself on path to a career in international education. After graduating in 2006 from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Journalism, Jonthon was selected for Teach for America, a national teacher corps of recent college graduates who commit two years to working in under-resourced urban and rural public schools. He taught for two years at the Bronx Center for Science and Math in New York City, and subsequently earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Indonesia. His latest fellowship was the English Language Fellow Program administered by the U.S. State Department. The program recruits highly qualified U.S. educators in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) to participate in 10-month-long fellowships at academic institutions throughout the world. We asked Jonthon more about his most recent fellowship experience.
1. What inspired you to apply to the U.S. State Department English Language Fellow Program and where did you go?
I learned of the English Language Fellow Program as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia. Upon completing that program, I returned to America, finished the coursework for my second Master’s degree, and applied for the program. I was first assigned to Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo, but declined the offer and was re-entered into the applicant pool. I was subsequently placed in Indonesia, which was my preference. The Regional English Language Officer subsequently placed me in Medan, the country’s third largest city. At the request of the Cultural Attache, I moved for my second year to Banda Aceh, where I taught at the State Islamic Institution of Ar-Raniry.
2. What was your day-to-day experience on the fellowship?
As an English Language Fellow at the State Islamic Institute of Ar-Raniry in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, my contractual week included fourteen hours of lectures and another six hours allotted to meetings with students, colleagues and to the facilitation of student council meetings and scholarship applications. In addition, I volunteered at the Human Resources Development Commission at the office of the governor of Aceh, and assisted with a volunteer education program in a rural area, Taman Pendidikan Masyarakat. I also traveled throughout the area and the country to participate in and facilitate conferences with pre-service teachers, active teachers, and other educational stakeholders. To be honest, there were few typical days; the fellowship allows for deep and meaningful involvement in the English language community and beyond, and fellows have a significant amount of control over their schedule. That said, I personally taught courses in Reading, Speaking, and Cross-Cultural Understanding three days a week, for four to six hours each day, and spent the other two days a week in one-on-one meetings or in small groups with students at the Governor’s office – or in one of Banda Aceh’s many fine coffee shops!
3. What do you want to do next?
I am interested in fostering educational equity at the international scale, and have a specific focus on Indonesia based on my experiences as a Fulbright ETA and English Language Fellow there. However, I hope next to obtain a position in educational reform here in America that focuses on teacher evaluation and development, or on institutional capacity, so that I might use what I learn later to help with these critical components of educational reform back in Indonesia.
Jonthon Coulson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism-Advertising and Master’s degree in Journalism-Strategic Communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Masters of Science-Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Pace University in New York City. His professional interests include international education, educational reform and Indonesia.
© Victoria Johnson 2012, all rights reserved.
Last night we had a fantastic seminar at the Tufts Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences with an audience of talented doctoral students interested in postdoctoral fellowships. It was interesting to hear from these students that at end of their studies, they are generally expected to secure a position at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and then seek funding to support their postdoctoral research. The problem? NIH positions and funding are becoming more and more competitive. These students were very surprised to hear that there are alternative sources of funding, as well as alternative career paths after a doctorate.
Some alternatives to NIH postdoctoral positions include the Humboldt Research Fellowships in Germany, sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. These are for young researchers who have finished their doctorate in the past four years. Germany is the European hub for science and technology research, but one of the great perks of these fellowships is that you can spend up to 25% of your fellowship in other parts of Europe. AvH also offers the one-year German Chancellor Fellowship for professionals, which includes 3 months of intensive German language training (I’m an alumni – class of 2003-4).
Other postdoctoral fellowships include the Smithsonian Institution fellowships or the Pews Scholars Program in Biomedical Sciences.
What I hear often from doctoral students is that they’re burnt-out after the intensity of completing a PhD, and they don’t necessarily want to begin a postdoc immediately after graduation. A professional fellowship is the perfect opportunity for a short-term paid position in something other than research. For example, a recent graduate could pursue a science policy fellowship and spend a year in Washington, DC, or consider a fellowship in K-12 teaching. There are a number of teaching fellowships that support your transition directly into teaching and the simultaneous completion of your Master’s in Education, such as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation program. The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation also offers teaching fellowships for individuals committed to teaching high school mathematics, physical sciences or biological sciences.
If you’re interested in fellowships whether postdoc or professional, one piece of advice I give to students is to begin looking for them early, ideally a year in advance of when you would like to begin a fellowship. Fellowships that begin in the summer or fall often have application deadlines as early as October of the previous year, and application preparation can be time-consuming. Often you need to secure reference letters and prepare an essay and/or project proposal. You should also allow yourself time to speak to former fellows and make contact with potential host institutions.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Good luck!
I often hear people talk about their desire to change careers, yet many people are unsure how to make this change, especially in a downturned economy where jobs are scarce. One industry that is in dire need of a new injection of talent and enthusiasm is teaching. The UN estimates that 8 million teachers are needed worldwide by 2015 in order to provide universal access to primary education. The timing couldn’t be better for a career change into teaching.
There are a number of teaching fellowships around the United States, some specifically for career changers with no previous teaching experience. The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation funds a teaching fellowship program in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, to prepare career changers and college graduates to teach math, science, engineering and technology in rural and urban schools. Fellows commit to teach for at least 3 years, and receive a $30,000 stipend to complete a special intensive master’s program at a local university. This program is expanding thanks to a recent $4.9 million grant from the Lilly Endowment.
The New York City American Museum of Natural History also just launched a new teaching fellowship. The Museum has created a paid teaching fellowship for their 15-month Master of Arts program in science teaching, which is intended to train middle school and high school Earth science teachers. Students spend two summers working with scientists and educators at the Museum, one in a youth program and the other in a science practicum residency. In between, students spend 10 months in a New York City school, paired with an exemplary teacher selected by school principals.
If you are seeking an opportunity abroad, Teach for China recruits, selects, trains, and supports outstanding US and Chinese graduates to work side-by-side to deliver an excellent education in high poverty and rural Chinese communities.
These represent just a small selection of fellowships that support a career change to teaching. Check out ProFellow’s database for information on more than 25 teaching fellowship programs, as well as several hundred other professional fellowship opportunities.
Are you a K-12 teacher who dreams of getting paid to get out of the classroom and into the field to learn about cutting edge environmental research and conservation efforts? The Earthwatch Educator Fellowship funds you to do just this!
Earthwatch Educator Fellows are funded by the Earthwatch Institute to go on expeditions around the world and work alongside leading environmental scientists. What you give back is a blog and presentations on your experience to encourage others to be involved in conservation efforts.
You might think you need years of experience, a science background or a certain education level to be eligible for the Earthwatch Educator Fellowship. Not at all! According to the Earthwatch Institute, “all you need is a sense of adventure, a deep curiosity, a love of meaningful work, and a desire to make a difference.”
If you ask me, that sounds exceptional.
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