Austin Warren

Mock interviews prepare aspiring educator for Teach for America position 

"As I was preparing the initial stages of my application to Teach for America, I met with the staff at U of I Career Services multiple times in order to review and improve both my resume and my letter of intent. The process was incredibly informative and helpful. In fact, the lessons I learned during these sessions about how to present myself in writing I still keep and use today.

Throughout the application process, I continued to seek guidance from the staff at Career Services. Two weeks before my in-person interview, I participated in a mock-interview. I was abysmal. However, I credit the mock interview with spurring me to really invest myself in the process, and fully research everything I needed to prepare myself for in order to do well. By the time I participated in the real interview, I was so well-prepared that my interviewer told me I sounded like I had already been a teacher.

In large part due to the helpfulness and support of the staff in Career Services, I was able to call myself a Teach For America corps member in the fall of 2011. For the next two years, I taught grades seven through 12 science in an under-resourced school in central Arkansas. I was able to help ensure all students in our country are able to have access to an excellent education.

Now, as a staff member with Teach For America, I am able to work with Career Services again in the effort to inspire a new generation of Vandals to serve as teachers and leaders in low-income communities throughout the country. I feel a debt of gratitude to the staff for all they’ve done to help support me after my graduation. Now, I'm excited to ensure that other students receive the same opportunities."

— Austin Warren '11