Eric McDermott is passionate about education. During college Eric worked with The Chicago Public Schools, Teach For America, and the National Head Start Association, and it was during these experiences that his cemented his belief that education is a powerful tool of change.
To better understand classroom issues in all parts of the globe, he’s taught students in a wide-range of schools from the predominately ESL classrooms of Commerce City, Colorado to the resource scare classrooms of rural Wema, South Africa---where he’s presently serving as a US Peace Corp Volunteer.
Presently, a bit more than halfway through his two years of service in South Africa, he has found the people delightful and the experience instrumental in attaining a better understanding of the challenges of creating quality education policy in rural Africa. Eric’s journey to the top of the Mt. Kilimanjaro with the Tanzanian students will add a new dimension to his understand of education and education policy in Africa.
Eric plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Economics after he completes his service in South Africa, which he hopes will help him grow as an educator and agent of change.
Eric McDermott, 27
Hometown:
DeWitt, Iowa USA
Profession:
Teacher and Entrepreneur
Education:
The University of Iowa
BA in Mathematics
MA in Education
London School of Economics
Economics Summer Program
Current Job:
English teacher/US Peace Corp Volunteer 2006-08 serving in Wema, South Africa.
