Arkansas Teacher Corps fellow TyKesha Cross (ATC ’20) was recently featured in the newest episode of the I Am A Rural Teacher Podcast, “Overcoming adversity through the power of education”. She shares how she and her family were greatly affected by struggle and strife growing up, the mentor who helped her to graduate high school and later return to the classroom as a teacher, the atmosphere of care and compassion she creates for her students, and the importance of building bridges with parents.

Rural schools are not only the social and economic hub of the areas they serve, but they are also an essential lifeline of emotional support and social services for students and the larger community. Often the task of ensuring our students are seen, heard, and loved falls on the educators. TyKesha knows personally the power of teachers and education to lift students out of incredibly difficult situations.

“I offer my love beyond imagination and my genuine heart and desire to see my scholars beat the odds just as I did!” – TyKesha Cross, a Junior High and 9th Grade Banking teacher in Pine Bluff, AR.

The I Am A Rural Teacher Podcast is a shared project of Rural Schools Collaborative and the National Rural Education Association that features outstanding rural educators across the globe. Arkansas Teacher Corps partners with the Rural Community Alliance to serve as the Rural Schools Collaborative’s Arkansas & Delta Regional Hub.