Fillmore native Stephanie Gomez has joined Teach For America, the national corps of top college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools in low-income communities.

“Through my education and work experiences, I am completely inspired by the impact Teach For America has on students. I will be a positive force of change where I am most needed and look forward to continuing to make an impact at every school I work at,” Gomez said. Gomez is a 2002 graduate of Fillmore High School, 2006 graduate of University of California Los Angeles, and will teach in Los Angeles beginning this fall.

Teach For America received a record-breaking 46,000 applications this year, and admission was more selective than ever before, with an acceptance rate of 12 percent. Teach For America recruits on more than 350 college campuses, seeking top graduates from all academic majors and backgrounds who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, perseverance, and leadership. At more than 120 colleges and universities, over 5 percent of the senior class applied, including 12 percent of all seniors at Ivy League schools, 7 percent of the graduating class at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and 6 percent at the University of California-Berkeley.

This fall, more than 8,200 first- and second-year Teach For America corps members will be teaching in 39 urban and rural regions nationwide. They will reach students in more than 100 school districts in 31 states and the District of Columbia.

Teach For America corps members go above and beyond traditional expectations to improve the educational outcomes of children growing up in low-income communities. Beyond their impact as corps members, two-thirds of the 20,000 Teach For America alumni across the country remain in education. More than 450 Teach For America alumni serve as school principals or superintendents, more than 500 work in government or policy, and nearly 30 serve in elected office.

About Teach For America
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. This fall, more than 8,200 corps members will be teaching in 39 regions across the country while 20,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org.