Profile

I'm in that 2% of applicants to Teach For America over 30. My B.A. and M.A. are in English from Auburn University. I grew up in Alabama, but Cambridge, Massachusetts, is my home.

My earliest aspiration was to teach, and I have taught at Auburn, in Alabama prisons, in night classes at Bentley University and Boston University, and in workshops for adults and children. Most of my work, though, has been in commercial software, as a technical writer, manager, and senior manager. A couple of years ago, knowing I'd like to teach again, I became certified to teach English 8-12 in Massachusetts.

Fall a year ago I became an adjunct in English at Bunker Hill Community College, my first time in the classroom in 21 years. I soon affirmed why I wanted to teach to start with and decided to pursue public-school teaching next year. About that same time, I made a great discovery: Teach For America does not have an age limit. Once I figured that out, I knew I had to apply.

TFA first got on my radar when Wendy Kopp gave the commencement address at UNC the day my daughter Francie received her doctorate. I was fascinated by Wendy's speech and soon read "One Day, All Children." I've been an amateur advocate for TFA since. A couple of years later, my son James and I went to hear Wendy speak at Brandeis, where James was a junior. It was in researching TFA online for James that I realized age alone would not keep you out of the corps.

Two of my passions are poetry and jazz. I love to read, cook, walk, take in art, and follow sports.

The true loves of my life are my daughters, sons, and wife:

Francie Likis, Nashville, TN. Francie was a nurse practitioner and midwife before receiving her doctorate in public health at UNC. She teaches at the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing, and is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health.

Mary Foster, Beaufort, SC. Mary has taught elementary school and is a founder and board member for the Riverview Charter School. She has two young daughters, Katherine and Elizabeth.

James Likis. James graduated in May from Brandeis. He majored in history and sociology, played varsity baseball, and was a Presidential Scholar. James is a resident at the Fenway School in Boston, where he is preparing to teach math through the Boston Teacher Residency.

Ben Likis. Ben is a sophopmore at Harvard. He's a former student and now a teacher at Breakthrough Cambridge, an enrichment program for middle schoolers. As a freshman he was the campus recruiter the national Breakthrough Collaborative. This summer Ben is teaching English in rural Costa Rica through WorldTeach.

Lori Likis. Lori is the Chief of Staff of the Cambridge Public Schools. She also consults on school improvement and strategic planning to charter schools, Boston Public Schools, and the Massachusetts Department of Education.