There’s something you should know about me: I believe in superheroes.
When I was a kid, I used to rush home from school every day to catch the latest episode of “The Super Friends” — a cheesy superhero cartoon series from the ’70s. Each week, Superman and his pals would foil the plot of an evil scientist, stop a rampaging monster or prevent an alien invasion. Watching those guys, I learned about trusting allies and standing up against injustice and inequality. What they didn’t teach me, though, was how to cope when evil took a different, less easily-identifiable form.
As I grew up, my concrete world of good vs. evil was shattered. It started when my father was first diagnosed with cancer. When the cancer metastasized to his bones and his brain, I was lost and powerless. And as my family fought its war against the disease, I witnessed my country enter a war on terror. As a millennial, I was taught that the 21st century would be prosperous and vibrant. Reality felt quite different.
As I struggled, my father made my own survival possible. Despite his ongoing battle against cancer, he taught me the importance of standing for something greater than yourself, and that our capacity for change is only as great as our capacity to give. He taught me that love means giving everything you can for those around you, even if all you can give is loyalty or trust. Most importantly, he taught me the power of people and their capacity for transformational change, regardless of where they come from.
When my father left us, I knew I needed to live his values and his beliefs, and sought a university that I felt shared the belief in service and passion for global change. This is what brought me to AU and it’s what drove me as the Student Government President. During my tenure, I joined with the student body to advocate, raise money and awareness, throw events, create empowerment programs and stand together in our belief in the future we’ve dreamed about ever since we were little kids.
Then, it came time to think about what would come next. My four years with SG had given me an appetite for making an impact.
But when I was contacted by a Teach for America recruiter my senior year, I was skeptical of the organization. I had heard critiques of the program, and I had never seen myself as a teacher. But I thought about how I could further live out my dad’s values, who was the best teacher I’d ever had.
I realized that I am who I am because of the spark that he instilled in me. He didn’t just teach me about science or history, he taught me about passion, about life. Each of us has this spark, this life-altering moment, event or person that causes us to challenge our own status quo and push ourselves to be greater than ourselves. That spark may be implemented in a moment, but its effects carry on for a lifetime.
Over the last three years, Teach For America has given me a chance to do this for others. Day to day, my work is about academic skills and content knowledge, but it’s also about instilling love and life. It’s not about saving anyone and it’s definitely not about being a superhero. It’s about playing your part in instilling the confidence and belief in someone else that they can be their own hero.
This is the challenge of our generation, to look beyond ourselves and for our future. Teach for America gave me the chance to do something I know would make my dad and my alma mater proud, the chance to walk the walk. I will carry with me those values and lessons for the rest of my life.
Nate Bronstein is a 2012 AU alumnus and former SG president. He taught in Philadelphia as a Teach For America corps member. He is currently obtaining a second and third master;s from the University of Pennsylvania and working with several civic enterprises to build a culture of collaboration in Philadelphia.
