Guest column: Making a difference

When Janiceia entered my 11th grade social studies class with aspirations of becoming a doctor, she had all the necessary potential but wasn't being challenged with the level of rigor that would prepare her for college-level pre-med coursework. She had consistently received good grades in her classes at Northwestern High School in inner-city Baltimore, but because so many students growing up in her low-income community had fallen far behind, the bar had been set low. Her straight A's did not reflect the mastery of high school material she needed to set her on a path to college, let alone medical school.

Janiceia's story is all too common among students growing up in low-income communities. When kids growing up in poverty enter kindergarten, they are already academically behind their wealthier peers. This gap in educational opportunity only widens over time. By the fourth grade, they are three grade levels behind and half won't graduate from high school. Only one in 10 will attend college and for those lacking a college degree, many doors are firmly shut.

Knowing Janiceia was just craving to be challenged academically, several of my fellow teachers and I joined forces to give her the extra time and rigor she needed. Soon we had her grappling with college-level novels, helping to design a new forensic science elective curriculum for the high school, attending Saturday writing workshops and studying for the SAT. Quiet and studious, Janiceia was often at school by 7 am and was one of the last to leave every evening. With our support, she blossomed as she found a routine that allowed her to consistently throw herself into new challenges. By the end of her senior year, Janiceia was awarded the Baltimore Incentive Award — a scholarship given to the three or four top outstanding academic seniors in Baltimore to attend this university — and became the first in her family to go to college.

I couldn't have been more proud, and not just because Janiceia had earned a full-ride to my alma mater. She'd taken the first step to literally change her life trajectory. I joined Teach For America upon graduating from the university because I wanted to take on the challenging, meaningful work of creating educational opportunities for our communities' highest-need students. At this university, I learned to think beyond my own circumstances, care deeply about others, especially regarding issues of injustice or inequality, and be a leader for positive change. As a Teach For America corps member, I had the opportunity to work alongside other committed educators and make an immediate difference in the lives of students such as Janiceia. She continued to grow as a scholar and a leader, graduating with a degree in journalism and giving back to her community more directly by joining the Teach For America corps herself in 2007. Janiceia was teaching students who share her background and, in some cases, the challenging home circumstances she faced as a student.

Both Janiceia and I have stayed in education. She's an instructional coach in Baltimore, helping new teachers continuously increase their effectiveness in the same schools she attended as a child, and I now lead Teach For America's New Jersey region as the executive director, impacting kids in my own home state. The teaching corps was my launching pad to leadership in education and a career I'm deeply proud of.

I can think of nothing more impactful a recent college graduate can undertake than shaping the lives of a classroom of students. It's an unmatched opportunity to utilize the leadership skills you've cultivated at this university while working collaboratively with others to solve one of our nation's most pressing problems. For too long, a child's zip code has defined his or her destiny. You can be a leader in the effort to change that reality, ensuring another generation of students has the opportunity to attain an excellent education and have the option to go to college — and, of course, potentially join our collegiate family and become a Terp.

Knowing that we can close the achievement gap for students like Janiceia who in turn are creating a world of opportunity for others, I simply can't walk away from this work. As you think about the role you will play in the broader world upon graduation, I hope you will consider joining me in these efforts. Teach For America's final application deadline is tomorrow Please visit www.teachforamerica.org for more information.

Fatimah Burnam is a 2001 graduate of the university. She can be reached at fatimah.burnam@teachforamerica.org.