Senior Keavin Smith was enjoying his last semester studying in Costa Rica, when his experience was cut short due to the COVID-19 crisis. But this did not let Keavin get him down. Upon arriving home, Keavin was notified of his acceptance to Teach for America (TFA). Acceptance to this prestigious program is a tremendous honor as the organization has a rigorous selection process and an acceptance rate of < 15%.

Smith is a general business major who has worked his way through college. Under the guidance of his management strategy professor, Jonathan Ross Gilbert, he attended the Bryant University sales competition, and made it to the semi-finals.

The two stayed in touch and last December, Keavin met with Professor Gilbert to discuss potential career paths. Together, they worked on building a resume and identifying management training programs and other platforms such as Teach for America that could be a steppingstone for Keavin’s success in the business world. Teach for America alums are admitted into the best graduate schools which is critically important to getting access to the next level of education and developing a deep network. They worked together on applying to TFA, and the hard work paid off.  Smith was accepted into the program this spring.

Below Keavin explains his decision to apply to Teach for America, what it means to get accepted, and how the URI College of Business and Professor Gilbert helped him reach this goal.

I first learned about the Teach for America organization from Professor Jonathan Gilbert, a TFA alumni, and a previous professor of mine. He explained to me the importance of TFA and its role in helping to shape and support the minds of our youth. More specifically, our youth who may not have equal access to the necessary resources and tools to learn. Upon further research, I realized that becoming a TFA faculty member not only places me in front of the classroom, but it also helps to establish me as a community leader. Thankfully, I had Professor Gilbert’s support throughout the hiring process, which really boosted my chances of being accepted. Now that I have been officially offered a position, I cannot wait to begin this journey of becoming an educator, a leader, and a friend. There isn’t anything more important than our youth and ensuring that they full access to equal, fair, and thorough education.