When Wendy Kopp was a college senior she had an idea: what if, as she believed, some of America’s top college students chose teaching over higher-paying professional jobs? She decided to put her idea into action and at 21 years old, Kopp raised 2.5 million dollars and started Teach for America in 1990.

Today, Teach for America (TFA) is the country’s largest provider of teachers for America’s low-income communities. Wendy Kopp sat down with us in Spring 2008 to talk about TFA’s core values, some bright alums (including Michelle Rhee) and how TFA is influencing DC and New Orleans school districts.

This video is part of our series following the day in the life of a Teach for America recruit. Watch the entire series here and weigh in with your comments.