ELA Teacher and Experience in College Admissions

Nya T.

In May of 2024, I graduated from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi, where I was a Stamps Scholar and Mississippi Excellence in Teaching fellow. With a passion for public education, I completed my Bachelor's of Secondary English Education and endorsements to teach special education and history (7th-12th) in 2024. I obtained my Mississippi licensure in 2025. Following my undergraduate degree, I completed my Master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education in Education, Culture, and Society in August of 2025, where my thesis on College Access in the American South passed with Distinction. I am currently a full-time Accelerated and Regular Ninth Grade English Educator at a local High School, but I have tutored kindergarteners, middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college freshmen between 2020-2025 in various after school and during school programs. I have taught English ACT summer bootcamps, where all students showed improvement, and I am highly committed to a student-centered approach to learning. I am certified to teach 7-12th grade English and History, and I have completed coursework in mild/moderate special education.

During my time at the University of Pennsylvania, I worked closely alongside experienced Admissions Counselors to learn the process of creating a diverse, highly selective class through a holistic application approach. I worked closely with the Honors College at the University of Mississippi to clarify the application process to prospective students. Through my full-ride at the University of Mississippi, I have studied in Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, Cuba, London, Scotland, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.