Joseph Capalbo	Jenna Nelson

Capalbo, of Brewster, N.Y., earned his bachelor's degree in economics and Nelson, of Castle Rock, Colo., earned her degree in political science; both alumni are from the Class of 2008.

Teach for America's mission is to eliminate education inequity in underserved regions in the United States. This year, the organization received nearly 25,000 applications from college seniors, graduate students, and professionals - its largest applicant pool ever. The program includes a five-week training period before corps members begin teaching in their assigned schools.

Corps members are paid directly by the school districts where they work and receive the same salaries and health benefits as other beginning teachers. Corps members also receive money for future educational expenses or to repay student loans.

As an undergraduate, Nelson took part in a work-study program at Quinnipiac which involved tutoring low-income students in New Haven, Conn. "I really fell in love with the kids I worked with, but was frustrated with the quality of their public education and the lack of opportunities they will have in life due to where they are from and their income level," Nelson said. "The experience led me to apply to Teach for America in the fall of my senior year."

Nelson will begin teaching third grade in Denver, Colo., in mid-August. She is assigned to an English Language Acquisition classroom, in which the majority of students are non-native English speakers. Nelson is also enrolled as a part-time student at the University of Colorado Denver, where she will pursue her master's degree in elementary curriculum and instruction.

As part of her training, Nelson has been teaching summer school in a third-grade bilingual class and says she is looking forward to having her own classroom in the fall. "I cannot wait to meet the students I will have for a whole year. I have so many ideas of what I want to do with my class to excite them about learning that I cannot wait to begin," she said.

Capalbo is also excited at the prospect at having his own class. He will teach math to sixth-grade students in Morris Heights, N.Y. "I wanted to be a teacher, but I wasn't an education major and I think teaching in the worst area and making an impact would be the best possible learning experience, as well as giving back for receiving such a great education," he said.

For Capalbo, the training institute has been a challenging "crash course" in teaching. "It's the most demanding thing I've ever done, but it's also very rewarding to teach summer school and see kids understand what you're teaching."