By Lauren F. Carlson '12

“There are a number of public school systems in this country that are a disaster,” said Aquinas alumnus Loren Krajewski. After graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, his educational and professional experience led him down an unlikely road which resulted in a surprising new career in education. Without an alma mater geared toward social justice and a nationwide program that advocates expedited certification for successful leaders, Krajewski would have continued his work in a position which yielded little personal fulfillment. However, after a change of heart based on his unique experience and a desire to serve, he joined an organization that seeks to improve education in the U.S. Now, having experienced the myriad of opportunities offered by Teach for America (TFA), Krajewski is an enthusiastic advocate for improving America’s education in struggling regions of the country.

“Educational inequity is the reality that where a child is born determines the quality of his or her education and life prospects,” states teachforamerica.org. On their website, TFA addresses the issues faced by school children in underprivileged areas of the United States. These children of low-income communities, comments TFA, face a distinct challenge due to the poverty of their families and school systems. In addition, many of these children are of a racial minority, and thus face the added hardship of racial discrimination.

Though these issues may seem like the norm in many cities throughout the U.S., TFA seeks to disrupt the cycle of educational inequity for the children of this country. This unique program attracts many college graduates like Krajewski due to the distinct certification process and its focus on communities with struggling education systems.

Unlike the traditional academic route utilized by many teachers to gain certification, TFA commits previous professionals and graduate students to a fast-paced five-week training program at a summer institute. Here, future teachers apply leadership and organizational skills to the field of education as they receive the lessons necessary to begin in the classroom the subsequent fall.

This experience, which prepares future teachers academically, also provides friendships between core members as they live, work, and learn together in the dormitories of a university campus. These relationships are a “network of people to fall back on,” says Krajewski. While TFA core members prepare as students, they also squeeze teaching at a local summer school into 14 hour days of seminars and classes.

Before this rigorous training schedule, however, core members must undergo a three month application process and be accepted into the organization. Krajewski, who applied to TFA in 2010 after leaving his position at a Fortune 500 company, described the application schedule as challenging. “It is definitely intimidating,” he said, as he articulates the telephone and personal interviews, group activities, critical and analytical skills test, and five-minute sample lesson (of which he was personally responsible to develop and present before a panel of recruiters).

“It’s pretty serious,” Krajewski said, mentioning that despite the fast-paced training, the qualifications for TFA corps are precise and demanding. In fact, according to a press release from the organization, TFA received 46,000 applications last year, and accepted only 4,500 new corps members. With this small acceptance rate, TFA ensures that their teachers are of the highest caliber.

After the application process, a five-week training program, and strict certification test for chosen field, new corps members are then thrust into a two-year commitment in one of the select 39 regions nationwide, from Bay Area in California to Greater Boston. “It gives you the opportunity to jump right into the classroom,” said Krajewski. Thus, the TFA teaching experience is far from ordinary.

As stated on TFA’s website, teaching as a corps member involves “going above and beyond traditional expectations to help their students to achieve at high levels.” The intensive training and focus on academic success arm these new instructors with the tools necessary to “close the achievement gap” in school systems that lack the resources needed for widespread improvement.

For Krajewski, TFA has provided an alternative approach to teaching as well as an option to truly make a difference through his career. After majoring in business and accepting a position at a large, commercial organization, he realized that his experience at Aquinas studying social justice and community service inspired a career serving others. “It’s just looking at business differently,” said Krajewski.

As he prepared for his certification in science, he addressed TFA’s ability to take advantage of the many interests of its corps members. Instead locking in to a four-year program at a traditional college or university, each teacher has the opportunity to choose a field of education, commit for two years, and later change their concentration if necessary. With TFA’s intensive training program and exclusive selection process, the organization ensures the quality of their teachers as well as their ability to quickly meet the needs of struggling school systems nationwide.

Said Krajewski, “[TFA] is a two-year deal.” Corps members reflect the organizations’ desire to serve underprivileged areas through their commitment to education and willingness to travel to disadvantaged areas. “I want people to know about the program,” he said, and reflects that TFA provides future leaders an alternative to teach after they have studied or worked in an entirely different field.

“It’s just a great experience,” said Krajewski, as he prepared to embark on his training and two-year journey. Although he originally studied business administration and began his career in the profit industry, his Aquinas roots inspired a drastic change that allowed him to pursue his passion for teaching.

“AQ really prepares you to think differently,” Krajewski said, explaining that Teach For America aligns with a service-oriented life and a career that seeks to improve education across the nation.