2022 Cohort – Page 2 – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

IRT 2022 Cohort News

Congratulations to the entire 2022 Cohort on their perseverance over the past few months. More than 700 graduate school applications have been submitted, and while it is still early in the process to receive admissions decisions, we are happy to report that a few schools have already begun notifying IRT Scholars of their acceptance!

IRT Scholars are now working with advisors on strategies for staying organized and the proper etiquette for communication with graduate schools over the next months as they await admission decisions. On average IRT Scholars are applying to 7-10 graduate programs. Approximately 90% of IRT students receive acceptance into at least one graduate program. Information on the demographics of the 2022 Cohort can be found on the IRT’s Impact page.

IRT Presence Virtually and On the Road

Interacting with students and colleagues has always been a strong area of focus for the IRT. These past few months have kept our team busy on the road as many regional events begin to expand their formats to include in-person sessions. The IRT has taken these opportunities to connect and further the discussion of shared experiences and mutual goals with educational and community partners across the country.

IRT Alumni on the Move at the UNCF/Mellon Programs Conference

Answering the Call to Transform the Academy
UNCF/Mellon Programs Conference: October 6-8, 2022
Atlanta, GA

IRT Education Programs Specialist Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 attended the UNCF/Mellon Programs Conference in October, where she also gave a presentation about IRT programs to new Mellon Coordinators and caught up with IRT alumni who were guest panelists during the two-day event.

Renee Johnson-Thornton, IRT ’05
Senior Program Associate and Associate Director of MMUF at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation was one of the guest speakers during the Conference Opening titled “Answering the Call to Transform the Academy.”

George Pratt, IRT ’22
A current senior at Morehouse College, Pratt participated on the Mentee/Mentor Relationship panel during the UNCF/Mellon Programs Conference in Atlanta. George accepted the Marshall Scholarship while working with the IRT this fall and will pursue his MPhil at the University of Oxford.

Alumni Accolades, January 2023

Brittney Yancy, IRT ’03
Brittney holds a masters degree in U.S. History and earned a Ph.D. in U.S. History last year from the University of Connecticut. Brittney is currently an Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Illinois College.

Optimism: How the IRT’s Approach Made All the Difference

Adaiah Hudgins-Lopez, IRT ’20

Adaiah Hudgins-Lopez in Trinity College Chapel at the University of Cambridge.
*Photo credit: Henry Kamara.*

At the beginning of my last year at Bowdoin College, I met with a staff member to discuss how I could apply for scholarships and fellowships of interest. As a Mellon Mays Fellow and anthropologist by training, I always knew I wanted to pursue research and teaching as a full-time career, and I hoped to conduct research ahead of applying to graduate school. This staff member glanced through my transcript and CV and, finally, declared that my GPA was not high enough, my extensive work experience was not particularly distinctive or exceptional, and my lack of language study at the time made me unqualified. This person said I was not a strong enough applicant for the opportunities I was interested in and suggested I craft applications for fellowships unaligned with my interests simply because they had much higher acceptance rates. I sat there dumbfounded, devastated, and began to check out of the conversation mentally. What was the purpose of me going through four years of undergraduate study if I was still unqualified to begin the pathway toward my desired career?

Welcome 2022 IRT Cohort!

IRT is proud to welcome 104 Scholars into the 2022 Cohort! We are excited by the enthusiasm and diligence these Scholars have already displayed in just the first few weeks of engagement with the program. As is often the case amongst IRT students, this year’s cohort displays a zeal for producing scholarship, developing curriculums, and facilitating interventions which will greatly increase access to education and equity within all aspects of life for historically marginalized populations. Compared to recent years, this cohort has a bigger majority of scholars pursuing fields in education and pursuing Decorate degrees. Psychology, counseling, and therapy are increasingly popular fields amongst IRT scholars as well. We cannot help but wonder how much the pandemic, and our systematic and institutional responses to the global health crisis, have informed these growing fields and degree paths of interest amongst our scholars. One thing is clear; the passion, drive, and brilliance of the 2022 Cohort is a continuation of IRT alumni’s historic excellence, and we are excited to help this next generation of researchers, educators, and leaders apply to graduate programs on their pathways to transformative careers!