AmeriCorps in Action

Kelly - a Reading Corps alumni who earned his master's in teaching through MNGOT.

Kelly Collar

“I was as prepared as I possibly could have been: I had all of that time in the classroom, working with kids, practicing those skills, and building those relationships. There’s no perfect way to get into teaching, but this is probably as good as it gets.”

Kelly graduated with a degree in accounting, but after a few successful years in the finance industry, he was ready for a career switch. He applied to become a tutor with Math Corps for a change of pace, and after a term of service was inspired to pursue a future in education. In August 2021, he joined the Minnesota Grow Your Own Teacher program in order to earn a master’s in education and teaching license while tutoring.

Upon completing the program, Kelly was hired as a fourth grade teacher at Howe Elementary and he attributes service and the Minnesota Grow Your Own Teacher initiative for setting him up to succeed!

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