Rebekah Bambling

Rebekah is originally from Pittsburgh, Pensylvania and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a double major in Psychology and Political Science. Upon graduation and acceptance as a Teach for America corps member in 2007 she moved to the big apple to pursue two of her dreams: educating today's youth and living in New York City. She is currently teaching 9th grade Global History at the Women's Academy of Excellence in the Bronx.
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Shawn Hindes

Shawn Hindes is originally from Fallsburg, New York and graduated from State University of New York at Albany in 2004 with a B.A. in History. He then graduated with his Masters in Secondary Education in Social Studies from State University of New York at Albany in 2005. Since 2005 Shawn has lived in the New York City area. He is currently in his fourth year of teaching 8th grade Social Studies at MS324 in Washington Heights, New York City. In his free time, Shawn enjoys New York Sports (specifically The Mets) and taking advantage of everything New York City has to offer.

Favorite Teaching Moment: After teaching a class about D-Day, Shawn overheard a student telling another student that the American military ripped off Call of Duty.
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Felix Li

Felix Li is originally from Los Gatos, California and graduated from Duke University in 2007. After graduating as a Public Policy Studies and Sociology double major, he joined the Teach for America movement and is currently teaching 8th Grade Mathematics at MS324 in Washington Heights.

Favorite Teaching Moment: One afternoon after a very successful interdisciplinary unit on the Great Depression, two students demonstrated their learning with some higher-ordered skills on Bloom’s Taxonomy: witty banter in the form of “Yo Mama” jokes. As we lined up for dismissal, one student said “Man, yo momma’s so poor she lives in a Hooverville!” The other student, not to be outdone, replied “Oh yeah? Well yo mama’s so fat, she ATE the dustbowl!”
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Cailin McDuff

Cailin McDuff is originally from Casper, WY and graduated from Furman University in 2007 with a degree in Economics and Spanish. She moved from South Carolina to New York to work as a recruiter for Teach For America after graduation. The following year, she joined the movement as a corps member and now teaches an incredible class of 5th graders at P.S. 15 on the Lower East Side.

Favorite Teaching Moment: While teaching a lesson about setting goals and going to college, Cailin's students all made individual goal posters that stated their plans for the year 2021 when they graduate college, along with 3 "things they need to do to get there" on the poster. While reading the impressive action steps that students had come up with, she was surprised when she approached one student's desk. Cailin couldn't read what the student had written, so she asked the student to read it. The student said, "3 ways to get there - bus, train, or car." Of course. Why didn't someone think of that? That's a completely legitimate way to get to your post-graduate goals.

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Kara Smith

Kara Smith is originally from Murfreesboro, Tennessee and graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2008. After graduating as a Public Relations major she moved to New York City and joined the Teach for America movement. She is currently teaching an outstanding group of 4th graders at P.S.110 in the Bronx.

Favorite Teaching Moment: Since Kara is from Tennessee, her students are constantly asking her if she knows Miley Cyrus or Hannah Montana. She is proud to say that she currently has them convinced that her and Miley are neighbors in TN. How gullible!
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