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This summer, Kylie Silva '20 will begin her teacher training as part of the 2019-20 cohort of the Teach for America program. Silva is among the select 12 percent of the approximate 57,000 applicants that competed to work with the national education program, which places its recruits in the nation's highest-need elementary and secondary schools to help expand educational equity, access, and opportunity for all students.
Silva is the first Curry graduate to be selected for the prestigious program and will be assigned a classroom in either the Fall River or New Bedford school district. "I hope to inspire students to set a higher standard for themselves to achieve greatness even when there may be barriers to their success," she says.
The former graduate and psychology major will begin training next month to become fully licensed before the fall but is also eager to draw on her recent coursework in child development, school psychological services, and behavior disorders in children for the new role.
"I know that my education at Curry has helped me prepare for this new role. I am confident I can apply my learning to assess the needs of children in my classroom so that they can achieve academic success in a conducive learning environment," she says.
As an alumna of the TFA program, Dr. Mia Khera of the Psychology department is equally excited about Silva's new opportunity. "Being accepted into Teach For America speaks to Kylie's determination and commitment to social justice and equity in and out of the classroom," she says. "I am confident that this experience will impact her in incredible ways, as it did me more than 20 years, and she will also be able to make a significant difference in the lives of young children. As a psychology major, she has a strong foundation of knowledge, and as a campus leader, we know she has the skills to continue to be a leader in society."
As a TFA corps member, Silva will teach for two years. Since 1990, 62,000 leaders have impacted millions of students through TFA, many of whom have returned to teach in the communities where they grew up. Eight out of 10 alumni continue to work in education or in fields that impact the communities where our students and their families live.