Ronicka Briscoe was in her senior year of college at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck. The New Orleans native spent a semester away from her hometown, reflecting on how she could be part of its recovery.

“If the city was going to come back better than it was before, we had to do something to drastically change education,” she said.

She joined Teach For America (TFA) as a fifth- and sixth-grade social studies teacher at Samuel J. Green Charter School. She remembers the long nights of preparation and the early mornings waiting for the janitor to open up the school. She also remembers the progress her students made in the course of their two years in her classroom. “It was really, really, really amazing,” she said.

Briscoe continued teaching after her two years as a corps member. Later, she became a curriculum coordinator and an instructional coach, before becoming an assistant principal.

This school year, she became principal at Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy of Global Studies, about two miles from where she attended elementary school in New Orleans.

“When I look in the faces of my students, I see myself, and when I speak to parents, I see my mother,” she said. “My hope is that my students are able to receive a quality education that prepares them for life beyond the Parish lines. I want my kids to have options.”

She said TFA gave her the tools she needed to succeed as an educator.

“Teach For America allowed me to put a purpose with my passion, and allowed me to be a part of changing the city that I love,” she said. “I want to really help children in the city be successful and reach their full potential.”