Less than a year after graduating from Tufts, Rebecca Hornthal, A11, found herself on the hill again. But this time, she was the teacher–to fourteen English Language Learning fourth grade students at Letourneau School. Her students hailed from all over the world, tended to under-perform academically, and oftentimes had behavioral issues.
Despite the daunting task before her, Hornthal broke through to her students by learning their hopes and dreams and showing them the path to achieving them: college. She created an ambitious curriculum with high expectations centered around long-term goals for her kids, and named them the “College Class of 2024.” Soon enough, the class adopted the term and became a model class for the rest of their Fall River peers. In order to keep her students motivated and show them what they were working for, Hornthal brought them to Tufts, where they met Professor Scarlett and even had a meal in Carmichael Dining Center. A student from the Fall River Education Television was there to witness it all:
After a year with Hornthal, her students went from under-performing in math and reading to testing out of their ELL program and being placed into traditional classrooms. Hornthal is one of many Jumbos working with Teach for America, and her success in the classroom will undoubtedly inspire others.