With spring quarter around the corner, a few individuals around campus have been looking unusually haggard and edgy.

However, there is a commonality among all these students: they are seniors.

After next quarter, graduates are supposed to know not only their life’s mission, but also where the next paycheck is coming from.

For the few of you who don’t know, a good place to start looking is Teach for America. Teach for America is a national program that trains recent college graduates to teach in low-income communities. Over the past 12 years, Teach for America has spent over 7,000 corps members to 16 urban and rural areas. It is in these areas where the magic takes place as teachers open the door of opportunity for more than one million children.

Each year, Teach for America selects a corps of more than 1,000 individuals. These individuals attend a summer camp where they learn basics of teaching such as planning of curriculum, goal setting for students, effective lesson designs, student assessment, classroom management techniques, and literacy development.

After this acclimatization period, the corps members head out into the field where they become full time, paid teachers for two years. Teachers are not left to sink or swim, because the program keeps an ongoing network for the two years and beyond.

The members are selected from a pool of applicants. To apply, candidates fill out a written application that includes a letter of intent, a resume and an essay. From this initial pool, the program picks out the most promising applicants and invites them to a day-long interview.

After the interview, candidates are notified within a few weeks whether they are accepted. The application deadline is Feb. 21.

This program may appeal to the undecided graduates. The program allows for two years of fulfilling, impacting, and, most importantly, paid work during which a student can mull over career options.

Further, Teach for America is a nationally recognized force in producing passionate leaders positioned to succeed. Employers recognize that instead of frittering away time after graduation, a member of the corps spent time honing problem solving and communication skills in a challenging profession.

If this unique opportunity sounds interesting, or if you just have no other options, check out Teach for America’s web site at teachforamerica.org, or call 1-800-832-1230.

You never know, maybe this opportunity will open doors to underprivileged students and doors to your own career.