Finding and sticking to her passion at age 21, Wendy Kopp built the most successful secondary educational program in the past twenty-five years.

Burning with desire to change the world, Wendy Kopp, then 21, organized a conference of students and business leaders to examine ways to improve the nation's K-12 education system. From it, came her idea to found Teach For America, the most successful secondary educational program in the past twenty-five years.

Kopp grew up in a middle-class family in an affluent area of Dallas.  Looking back, she said her community was "extraordinarily isolated from reality and the disparities in educational opportunity." Even still, she sought to learn about educational opportunities while attending Princeton.

Not sure what to do after graduation, Kopp went into "a deep funk" during her senior year. As she explored teaching in public schools, she realized there were many like her who believed that depriving kids of an excellent education was a national tragedy.
She had found her passion.

Following this passion, Kopp created Teach For America to recruit thousands of graduating students to teach in public school systems.
She also recognizes that Teach For Americas biggest challenge is figuring out how teachers can stay centered and reenergize themselves around the mission when pressured by so many other challenges.

Finding and following one's passion may be extraordinarily difficult.
Wendy Kopp achieved this for herself and is successfully helping teachers across America do the same.