Member Spotlight: Augusta Rentenbach, Teach for America Alabama AmeriCorps Program

Meet Augusta Rentenbach, French Teacher, currently serving with Phillips Academy, a service site of the Teach for America AmeriCorps Program. 

1. What motivated you to join AmeriCorps? I was motivated to join AmeriCorps because I felt it was my civil duty. I come from a long line of civil servants and military veterans. I wanted to do something to give back to America and my community. I have traveled, lived abroad, and saw disparities and poverty that I knew I wanted to fix. However, during college, I realized that the United States had many of the same things. I knew I could make an impact here in my own country. Furthermore, I knew I wanted to start with our youth. 

2. What would you like to get out of this service opportunity? My one goal is to change at least one person’s life. If I touch one person’s life then I am touching the lives around that one person too! Being in a classroom I get to interact with hundreds of scholars a day and so if I impact a handful of my students each year imagine the impact that could have! 

3. What will your service focus on for the 2021-2022 program year?

During this program year, my service will focus on educational inequities. After the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are seeing a huge problem in decreased literacy skills. I hope to help the students who have fallen behind and to remind them they are not alone. I want to remind them that there are millions of people around the world who are struggling- as well as millions around the world that believe in them.  4. What are your plans after AmeriCorps?

Currently, I do not have any specific plans after my time with AmeriCorps. I want to continue helping and giving back to the community in one way or another. Whether as an educator, lobbyist, politician, businesswoman, or lawyer, I am not sure yet. I will take it one day at a time and focus on my students in front of me. I will cater to their needs and inspire them to continue their education. 

Thank you for your service Augusta!