More than 5,800 Teach for America corps members began their two-year commitments in schools nationwide this fall — and 78 of them are Gators.
Teach for America, an organization that recruits qualified graduates from more than 600 campuses to teach in low-income areas, ranked UF second overall of colleges contributing the most graduates in 2012, according to a press release.
The University of California, Berkeley clinched the No. 1 spot with 88 members.
Last year, UF tied for fifth place with the University of Southern California with 75 graduates.
“The numbers are evidence of graduates who are committed to teaching and working to solve equality in schools,” said Teach for America UF recruitment manager Caity Hickey.
Hickey, who graduated from UF in 2009, began recruiting for the university last summer. In her two years as a recruiter, Hickey said she’s seen a decrease in applications but an increase in the amount of UF applicants chosen.
The average GPA for the national 2012 recruiting class was 3.54, according to the release. The 5,800 first-year corps members are scattered throughout 36 states.
Hickey said most UF corps members leave Florida but prefer to stay within the southeastern U.S.
Kara Szaflarski, 22, graduated from UF in May with a degree in communication sciences and disorders. Now she teaches pre-algebra to special education students at a middle school in New Orleans.
“I was fortunate enough to have a good education at UF, and I want kids to know they have the same option,” Szaflarski said.
She credited Hickey for UF’s high numbers.
“She does a good job of getting the message to students,” Szaflarski said.
Although the Teach for America organization began in 1990, UF began its formal recruiting process in 2006, Hickey said. She said she’s happy with the ranking.
“It’s an incredible feeling, not only as a recruiter, but also that this is my alma mater,” she said.
