This fall, we’re highlighting two Binghamton alumni whose careers in law and policy were shaped by a shared experience right after graduation: Teach For America, a national nonprofit organization that recruits and trains recent graduates and professionals to teach in under-resourced schools for at least two years. Both Dorothy and Michele joined TFA and spent two years in the classroom. That time didn’t just challenge them — it changed how they saw the world, how they work today, and who they became.
But long before they were teachers, lawyers, or advocates, they were Binghamton students trying to figure out what came next.
Dorothy: First-gen student, Bronx native, and now a lawyer focused on accessibility
Dorothy always knew she wanted to go to law school. As a first-generation college student from the Bronx, that dream was clear — but the path wasn’t. When she got to Binghamton, she considered majoring in PPL but landed in History. It turned out to be the perfect fit.
“There was so much reading, but that helped me learn how to organize information and process it quickly. Being able to break things down for other people started at Binghamton — I didn’t know it then, but that skill would follow me into teaching, and now into law.”
At Binghamton, she found community through the EOP center, where she worked as a tutor, and the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society, which helped her prepare for law school. She still remembers the first time she got on a plane — to visit law schools in Texas through the society.
After graduation, she joined TFA and taught early childhood education in the same Bronx neighborhood where she grew up.
“That was huge for me. I was teaching kids who were walking the same streets I did. There was something full-circle about it. It felt like I was giving back in the most direct way.”
Teaching wasn’t easy, but she was part of a tight-knit TFA cohort that got through it together.
“None of us had teaching experience, but we figured it out. It was hard, and sometimes exhausting, but we all wanted each other to succeed. That made a difference.”
TFA also shaped how she thinks and works today as an attorney. She sees her teaching background in the way she communicates with clients and colleagues.
“Other lawyers don’t always stop to ask if someone actually understands. I do. I’m always checking for understanding, just like I did with my students. It’s made me a more thoughtful and effective lawyer.”
Her TFA experience also created lifelong connections. One of her favorite students taught her more than she expected. Years later, she stayed in touch with that student’s family — and she’s now engaged to the student’s father.
“It’s wild when you think about it. That classroom gave me so much more than I expected. It set me on this path professionally and personally.”
Now practicing law after attending the University of St. Thomas School of Law she still draws on the lessons from her time in the classroom.
“TFA gave me a foundation for how I work, how I think, and how I show up for people.”
Michele: Scholar, global thinker, and now senior counsel working on international privacy
Michele came to Binghamton with big interests — political science, global studies, and law. She didn’t just explore them academically, she threw herself into campus life. She was in the Scholars Program, sang with Harpur Chorale, mentored in Johnson City, and joined Phi Alpha Delta, the pre-law fraternity.
“I wanted to get involved with everything. I didn’t always know where I’d land, but I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself.”
She also traveled to New Orleans through Hillel on a post-Katrina Habitat for Humanity trip. That experience stuck with her.
“I fell in love with the city. I promised myself I’d come back and live there someday.”
When she learned about Teach For America, she started researching education policy for class and eventually became a TFA campus recruiter at Binghamton. She was accepted to Cardozo School of Law but decided to defer and teach first. Sure enough, she landed a TFA placement in New Orleans.
Teaching was tough. Michele taught at both a charter school and a traditional public school in the suburbs, where many of her students spoke Spanish at home. Her background in Spanish and her study abroad experience helped her connect with students and families.
“It was one of the most humbling things I’ve ever done. I loved my students, but the emotional and mental energy it took was enormous. By the second year, I found my rhythm, but it never stopped being intense.”
One experience she will never forget involved a family she was close with. She taught twin sisters in third grade. Their older brother, a fifth-grader at the same school, was shot and killed by a stray bullet while playing video games at home.
“I still think about that every day. His teacher talked about how his seat was just empty. I went to the funeral. It shook our whole school. Helping the twins’ mom through her grief — that experience never leaves you. It made me realize how deeply schools are connected to everything else happening in a community.”
After TFA, Michele went to law school and eventually joined a large law firm in New York. While the legal work wasn’t connected to education, she found ways to keep that part of her life present — doing pro bono work in immigration and children’s advocacy. Now, she works at T-Mobile as Senior Corporate Counsel for International Privacy.
“I’m talking to lawyers in Spain and Germany. I’m thinking about global privacy laws. It’s wild how much my Global Studies background comes back into play.”
She’s also still deeply connected to the TFA community.
“Some of my closest friends are people I taught with. Two of them are also lawyers. A bunch of them are on nonprofit boards. We’re still trying to make a difference, just in different ways now.”
And when people ask whether law school was hard, she’s quick to answer.
“Yes, law school was hard. But it wasn’t as hard as teaching. Not even close. In law, you mess up a memo or a cold call. In the classroom, a bad day means a student shuts down, or worse. The stakes are just different.”
Why TFA Matters for Students Interested in GPL
For both Dorothy and Michele, TFA wasn’t just a stop on the way to law school. It was a foundation. It gave them real-world experience, a front-row seat to systemic inequities, and a deep understanding of how policy impacts people.
It also gave them confidence. It taught them how to lead, how to communicate, and how to show up for others. These are the same skills they use now in their legal careers.
“TFA made me grow up fast,” Michele said. “You’re the adult in the room whether you feel ready or not. That kind of responsibility stays with you.”
Dorothy agreed.
“Teaching grounded me. It made me the kind of lawyer who sees the person behind the case. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
If you’re interested in law, policy, public service, or education, TFA could be a powerful launchpad. And if you want to connect with alumni like Dorothy or Michele, reach out to the Government, Policy and Law Career Cluster at the Fleishman Center. We’re here to help you explore what’s next.
This blog was co-authored by Tal Mintz and Sophia Young.
