Three members of the Class of 2006 are among 25 rising seniors from 16 participating institutions to be named recipients of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund's 2005 Fellowships for Students of Color Entering the Teaching Profession.
Taica Hsu, David Jiles and Joanna Lau will receive up to $22,100 over a five-year period through this prestigious scholarship, that begins with a project of their choice this summer and ends after the completion of a master's degree and a two to three-year commitment to public school teaching.
The RBF's fellowships, created in 1992, seek to address the strong need for minority teachers in American public schools. Currently, only 10 percent of the approximately three million public school teachers are from minority backgrounds, while minority students account for almost 40 percent of the population.
"We definitely need more minority teachers in the classroom that minority students can relate to. I will give [all students] exposure to a race or an identity they may not have come in contact with, shattering preconceived notions and stereotypes," Hsu said.
The fellowships strive to provide financial, personal and professional support and encouragement to promising minority college students, enabling them to pursue an interest in pubic education.
Of the 275 fellowships RBF has awarded, about 75 percent of the students chose to remain in the educational field after the five-year period designated for the fellowship expires. Jiles commented that he plans to become involved with policy issues, while Hsu would like to pursue an administrative position or work with curriculum development.
"I think we should be teaching more creatively instead of just teaching for the test so that kids can stay interested in the classroom," Hsu said.
Both Jiles and Hsu entered Dartmouth as pre-meds but carried with them a keen interest in education. After enrolling in a number of education classes, they were informed of the RFB Fellowship opportunity by the faculty in the Education Department and were particularly encouraged by Professor Andrew Garrod.
"I wasn't confident at all to apply for a competitive scholarship, but Professor Garrod, he really built my confidence up," said Jiles.
All three Dartmouth fellowship recipients are enrolled in the Dartmouth Teaching Certification program, allowing them to pursue a masters' degree in any field they choose since they will already have their certification. Hsu is considering programs at Columbia, Harvard and Stanford, while Jiles hopes to pursue a master's in literacy and reading.
Last weekend, the 25 fellows attended a summer workshop in Chantilly, Va., designed to give them a chance to present their summer projects.
The projects, planned by the fellows in conjunction with their mentors, are all related to experimental teaching. Jiles worked with three black females from his hometown near Chicago, designing college preparatory lessons and organizing motivational sessions twice a week for six weeks.
Hsu taught language arts, Spanish and martial arts for a program called Break Through Collaborative in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. that strives to set middle school children from inferior public schools on a track for college admissino.
Hsu complimented the holistic approach of the RBF, providing fellows with necessary financial support but also with the support of mentors and other fellows.
"I feel like the people that I met last weekend will become lifelong colleagues because we are all connected to this organization and the goals and the pursuits this organization is trying to realize. We can always fall back on that if we ever lose sight of our personal goals," he said.
RBF Fellowship recipient Joanna Lau '06 could not be reached for comment.
