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Alumni profile: Luis Alonso

Software Engineer, Google Greater New Orleans Corps ’02 (joined Teach For America after working as a Java software engineer at E.piphany), taught 9th grade physical science at the New Orleans Center for Science and Mathematics High School Columbia University ’07, M.S. computer science Carnegie Mellon University ’99, B.S. computer science

I was lucky to have attended high-performing public schools throughout my life. While studying at Carnegie Mellon, I wanted to make a difference in my local community. I tutored at several elementary schools in low-income neighborhoods, which opened my eyes to the realities of low-performing schools.

I worked in the high-tech arena immediately after graduation, and after three years, I began to lose my focus and inspiration. The sense of fulfillment I got from tutoring and my desire to continue sharing my love of science motivated me to join Teach For America.

I taught at a half-day mathematics and science program school. Almost all of our students were African-American and eligible for free or reduced lunch. Coming from top magnet schools and high-need public schools, they entered my class with differing levels of science knowledge. It was the first time I really understood the depth of educational disparity in our country.

We expected all students to do high-level work, so I learned where to lay the groundwork for them and where they needed to take leaps on their own. My science background enabled me to explain material in multiple ways so that everyone understood it.

My corps experience proved that two years can make a real difference in the lives of students. The teachers who taught my students the following year said they were much better prepared than the previous class had been. In 11th grade, 90 percent of my students passed the required state test.

Beginning the corps with professional experience gave me a head start. I already knew how to work individually and incrementally toward one large shared goal, so it was natural to set ambitious academic goals for my class and work with each student to achieve them. I could also find common ground with people whose views differed from mine, which helped me connect with my students and build relationships with fellow teachers and administrators. On the flip side, my teaching experience further developed my ability to clearly communicate complex ideas, which is essential in the technology field.

I was also the computer resource teacher at my school, and I dealt with poorly designed software and a lack of teaching materials. The satisfaction I felt from using my computer skills to address these problems is one reason I went to work at Google. We’re improving education by making information more accessible, and we do a great deal of work with educators.

My Teach For America experience changed my life. The achievement gap became a core part of my understanding of the world, and it’s something I now see everywhere I look. Because of the kids in my classroom, I feel personally invested in seeing that all kids have the opportunity to succeed.

Teach For America corps members exhibit the creativity, leadership abilities, and civic consciousness that we place such a premium on. Providing these grads with the opportunity to spend two transformative years teaching in low-income communities across the country is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do, as they will arrive at Google with an excellent skill set developed in a demanding work environment and a greater commitment to the larger world.

- Laszlo Bock
Vice President of People Operations, Google