Teaching For America (Seniors 2012)

I mentioned before that a few of our Graduating seniors are going to be working for Teach for America (TFA) this coming year.  Teach for America is an organization committed to ensuring that kids living in poverty get a quality education.

TFA Recruits from Cornell 

TFA recruits quality college grads like Paul Bennetch, Bethany Nichols, James Bor, Quip Turner, and  Amanda Maas to serve kids as teachers in a low income area for two years.

Paul Bennetch has been a part of Cru since the first week of his freshman year.   He recalled on Senior Share night the day he met (Cru intern) Ben Hutton at a kick-off event.  In his typical style Ben explained the gospel and vision of Cru in a thorough and compelling way and Paul decided he didn't even need to check out any other fellowships.  Truthfully though, Paul was a blessing to the whole body of Christ at Cornell working to organize inter-fellowship events including the large scale Veritas Forum this past spring.  

Paul got married while in college; something I personally am a fan of. (At least in part because I did it myself;)  Paul and Emily were our resident married couple -poster children for the amazing institution that God has ordained for his glory and our good.  They hosted a Community Group in their home providing warm gospel hospitality to Christ-followers and seekers alike.

Paul is hoping to serve in Denver, Colorado.

Bethany (L) and Amanda will both serve with TFA

Bethany Nichols comes from a family of educators.  She will be working with students in New York city next year.  Her enthusiasm and energy will be greatly missed here, but will be critical as she tries to adjust to the notoriously busy TFA schedule.  (read more about Bethany here.)

Throughout college, Paul, Bethany and James Bor were like the Three Amigos (with one being an Amiga of course.)  As Iron sharpens iron, they were a group of friends who consistently challenged one another to walk with Christ and live by faith.  They supported one another through doubt, hardship and struggle, truly bearing each others burdens and enabling authentic Christian growth.

James also got involved with Cru* his freshman year.  Over the years we got to spend time together doing everything from studying the Bible to laying ceramic tile in Nic Brenner's house.  James is a servant, a fun loving guy and an extremely intentional person.  Like Paul and Bethany, he's also very articulate and able to explain the gospel clearly to people in a way that's understandable.   Those traits served him well when he joined a fraternity on campus.  James labored to bring the love of Christ into the infamously crazy Greek System.  It was a challenge in every way but his effort and example have paved the way for others to be agents of redemption in a place that greatly needs redeeming.  

One of my most vivid memories of James is of him winning (every year!) our Root Beer Chugging contest!  He absolutely dominated! 


James will be serving down South in the Mississippi Delta region.  



I remember the first time I met Quip Turner. We met and shook hands at an on-campus event called Light  that promotes the cause of World Missions.  Quip was a transfer student and it was his sophomore year.  Nic Brenner also shook his hand and said "hi."  Later, Nic and I were standing behind him conferring that we had both heard the same thing.  "Quip?"  Apparently so. 

I enjoyed hanging out with Quip right off the bat because he liked to talk theology.  Hailing from Dallas he had attended The Village church and was a fan of gospel-centered Bible teaching.  Quip plugged in to Nic's Community Group and occasionally helped lead worship at Real Life.  A couple of summer's ago he also got to help lead the Summer Christian Fellowship.  Quip is set to teach in Oklahoma.  

Amanda Maas also transferred to Cornell her sophomore year.  She worked for TFA and is at least partly responsible for generating such intense interest in the organization.  In her Senior Share testimony she emphasized really digging in and investing in one another's lives.   Amanda will be in Texas for the next couple of years.  










*James is a great friend and throughout college he remained connected with Cru.  During his Junior and Senior year however, he primarily gave leadership to Intervarsity's Greek Ministry.