Next fall, Tsering Kheyap '04 is going back to middle school -- only this time she won't have to worry about acne, angst or social acceptance. Kheyap plans to teach social studies at a secondary school in the Bay Area through a fellowship from Teach for America.
Kheyap, a geography and women's studies double major, initially considered pursuing a career in the private sector.
"I dabbled in corporate recruiting during the Fall term and a little in the winter to see if I was missing out on anything," Kheyap said. "But I realized it definitely wasn't for me."
Instead, Kheyap started to explore not-for-profit alternatives. After attending presentations by several Dartmouth alumni, she grew interested in Teach for America, an organization that offers two-year teaching fellowships in schools across the country.
Kheyap said she applied for a position with Teach for America at the end of Winter term and was quickly accepted.
Kheyap spent her freshman summer teaching a drug and alcohol prevention course in Newark, N.J., through the Tucker Foundation. She cited her experiences that summer as a major influence on her decision to teach after graduation.
"Also, coming from a public high school myself, I think I saw the value of basic primary and secondary education," Kheyap said.
