Alumni – Page 10 – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

Connecting and Supporting Teachers

Alyssa Strykers, IRT ’14 shares her experiences leading up to her current role as an assistant principal

I am currently an Assistant Principal at Inwood Academy for Leadership in Manhattan, New York. I was born and raised in NYC and went to Davidson College where I majored in Anthropology with a concentration in Education. Next, I began my career in education with Citizen Schools in NY to see if I truly wanted to pursue teaching.

After my 2-year Americorp commitment, I left NYC to pursue a M.Ed at Boston College (Masters in Moderate Special Needs) through the Donovan Urban Teaching Scholars Program led by Catherine Wong, former Director, Urban Outreach Initiatives. Catherine actively recruited me from IRT. If you are considering a leadership position down the line, I suggest a pathway to special education. You can be a more effective leader when you can teach and differentiate for students who need it the most. You also may be able to receive dual certification in some states. Originally, I thought I would return to NYC right after completion of my Masters but fell in love with my school in Dorchester. I waited until my first cohort of students graduated before returning to teach in NYC. The one thing I wish I had done differently was get my NY teaching certification while I was still in Massachusetts because the transfer of certification was a headache.

Part-time Job Opportunities for IRT Alumni

Hello IRT alums!

Do you need part-time Summer employment that aligns with your commitment to teaching and leading justice? Are you eager to reconnect with fellow IRT alums who value a sense of belonging and are keen to exchange insights while at the same time innovating their facilitation skills and teaching practices – well, you have come to the right place!

We are currently seeking faculty to teach in our Summer Workshop. We will continue our virtual workshop facilitation so that all scholars, no matter where they reside in the United States, can engage with the curriculum materials and meet with IRT alums and Consortium partners. Our workshop sessions will be highly interactive and participatory as we seek to support and prepare the next generation of diverse educators to teach and lead in positions PK-12 through higher education.

Please consider applying or pass this to a fellow IRT alum.

Applications Due March 8, 2024

Summer Workshop Faculty Job Posting

Summer Workshop Curriculum Coordinator Job Posting

Be on the lookout to apply to as a Statement of Purpose Advisor during the Fall on the IRT Alumni Network soon!

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Alumni Accolades, January 2024

Mishuana Goeman, IRT ‘ 94 is the chair and professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Buffalo. Her community-engaged work is devoted to several digital humanities projects and is widely published in monographs and peer-reviewed articles including Mark My Words: Native Women Mapping (University of Minnesota Press, 2013) and Settler Aesthetics: The Spectacle of Originary Moments in the New World (University of Nebraska Press, 2023).

Alyssa Garcia, IRT ’00 is currently a College Adviser and Assistant Professor of Instruction in Gender & Sexuality Studies at Northwestern University. Alyssa holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Jonathan Anderson, IRT ’01 holds a master’s degree in elementary education, teaching, and divinity. Jonathan is a teacher at Johnston County Public Schools in North Carolina.

IRT Advising In Full Force

IRT advising has always been the core component of the IRT program. Building connections, community, and confidence through advising has never been more relevant than in the changing and recently daunting educational landscape. Under the direction of Brittany Zorn, IRT ’13, and Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 the program has developed into an ever-evolving model of targeted sessions that support and meet IRT Scholars where they are throughout the entire graduate school process.

The advising season is more than underway and the advising team has worked with scholars together with encouragement, diligence, and fortitude through an intensive time that can be overwhelming.

Sincere appreciation to Brittany and Leislie for leading the team with such thoughtfulness and intent and to the amazing IRT alumni advisors for their continued work ensuring this critical program constantly flourishes.