The phone call came during dinner with Jon, Sonja, Katie, and Dave at the Blue Cat Brew Pub in Moline. I had already gotten an email message, and when I answered my phone a cheery voice on the other end confirmed what I already knew. I have been selected as a member of the 2010 Teach For America Bay Area Corps. The celebration had already started.
I woke up with butterflies in my stomach this morning. Either I would be very happy or pretty disappointed by the end of the day. Over coffee I told Sonja I might grab a bottle of champagne and a box of tissue. Turns out I needed both—the news made me so happy I cried.
I don’t know yet which district will employ me, but I know it’s in the Bay Area, and I know I’ll be a special education teacher. The offer from Teach For America today is a first step in a long process that includes a series of qualifying tests and an intensive training institute in Los Angeles. There’s a long road ahead, but my goal of teaching in our public schools feels much closer tonight. I continue to hope that I am selected to teach in the Oakland Schools.