Meet University of Oregon’s latest campus celebrity senior: Sarah Boon. A die hard cat lover and faithful nail painter, Sarah Boon recently got accepted into Teach For America’s corps program. Upon graduating from UO this spring, Sarah will move to Phoenix, AZ to teach special education in a low-income elementary school.
Age: 22
Year: Senior
Major: Family and Human Services
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Follow her @sarahbboon
HCO: How did you first get involved with Teach For America?
I got involved through Nicole Rios when she was a senior at UO in Alpha Phi. She encouraged me to apply for a summer internship with Teach For America. I ended up spending the summer working in Chicago on the marketing team at Teach for America’s Summer Institute. My experience in Chicago combined with my experience as a campus campaign coordinator this year inspired me to apply to be in the corps.
HCO: Can you briefly explain Teach For America’s mission?
Teach For America believes that one day all children will have the opportunity to obtain an excellent education. Teach For America places high achieving recent college graduates in low-income communities across America to teach for two years.
HCO: How intense was the process of applying to be in the corps?
The process was pretty long. I first applied in August and didn’t find out I got accepted until the beginning of October. The first step was an online application where I filled out essay questions, sent my resume and cover letter, and then I did a phone interview. Finally, I had an all day interview where I taught a sample lesson and interviewed with other candidates. The Teach For America staff came to the UO campus and interviewed myself and about twenty other students.
HCO: Describe your internship in Chicago.
In Chicago, I was on the operations staff. There were a group of 20 current college students and we were in charge of running the college campus where the current corps members lived. I wrote a weekly newsletter and updated the website for the Chicago Teach For America Institute.
HCO: What do you do for Teach for America (TFA) on the University of Oregon Campus?
On UO campus I am a Campus Campaign Coordinator, which means I help promote TFA on campus through presentations and info sessions. I also market TFA on the UO campus through managing the UO Twitter and Facebook Teach For America Accounts.
HCO: What have you enjoyed most about interning for Teach For America so far?
I really enjoy how much my eyes have been opened to the inequality in our education system. It has really lit a fire under me to get out there and make a difference and be a part of something bigger than myself.
HCO: How have you balanced your work with Teach For America, sorority life, and being a fulltime Oregon Duck student?
I have a really cute planner that I love looking at every day to remind me of how busy I am. It is really important to keep my priorities in check so I don’t let anything fall behind.
You can apply for Teach For America Too! The next deadline is January 24th. Apply at teachforamerica.org
You can take a look at the Twitter and Facebook pages at: