Introduction	I’m definitely a nontraditional student. Mostly, I describe myself as a writer and editor involved in developing instructional resources for language arts and social studies. Two years ago, I taught a summer course (“Italian History and Culture”) in Rome to students in NMSU’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. Our classroom was in the Pantheon Institute, which overlooks the Pantheon. All I could think of then and now is “wow.” Fast forward … I served as a reference for one of the “Rome students” in his bid to join Teach for America. In the process, I learned A LOT about Teach for America and felt a strong pull to find out even more. In short, skipping over the astonishment and amusement of my husband (“Why don’t you just buy a red sports car?) and extended family and friends (“Are you out of your mind?), I applied for the program, was accepted, and am planning to begin teaching this fall (2013) in Las Cruces. My husband, extended family, and friends have come around, and I couldn’t be more excited with my new path.

Introduction

I’m definitely a nontraditional student. Mostly, I describe myself as a writer and editor involved in developing instructional resources for language arts and social studies. Two years ago, I taught a summer course (“Italian History and Culture”) in Rome to students in NMSU’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. Our classroom was in the Pantheon Institute, which overlooks the Pantheon. All I could think of then and now is “wow.” Fast forward … I served as a reference for one of the “Rome students” in his bid to join Teach for America. In the process, I learned A LOT about Teach for America and felt a strong pull to find out even more. In short, skipping over the astonishment and amusement of my husband (“Why don’t you just buy a red sports car?) and extended family and friends (“Are you out of your mind?), I applied for the program, was accepted, and am planning to begin teaching this fall (2013) in Las Cruces. My husband, extended family, and friends have come around, and I couldn’t be more excited with my new path.