Newsroom
First Lady Laura Bush to Visit Occidental March 22
First Lady Laura Bush is scheduled to visit Occidental College on March 22 as part of her national campaign to encourage more of the nation’s top colleges to promote teaching as a career for their students.
While at Occidental, Mrs. Bush will meet with community leaders and delegations from colleges and universities in Southern California and highlight the work of Teach For America (TFA). Patterned on the Peace Corps and Vista, TFA (http://www.tfanetwork.org/join_our_corps/home.asp) recruits recent college graduates to teach in public schools in low- income urban and rural schools. TFA’s goal is to triple the size of its teaching corps over the next four years.
Wendy Kopp, the founder and President of Teach for America, will join Mrs. Bush as will several current and future Corps members. Over the past ten years, 15 Oxy students have worked as teachers through TFA, including six current Corps members; another 15 Oxy students and alumni have applied to the program this year.
The First Lady’s visit to Occidental is part of a two-day trip to Southern California – her first solo trip outside Washington as first lady – to promote reading and teacher recruitment. Earlier on March 22, she will visit Morningside Elementary School in San Fernando. She is also scheduled to visit San Diego on March 23, where she will urge members of the military nearing retirement to consider a second career as teachers.
Mrs. Bush’s visit to Occidental is the first by a first lady in 60 years. Eleanor Roosevelt visited Oxy on December 9, 1941, two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Because of the focused nature of the event and because of security concerns, access to Mrs. Bush’s visit will be limited. Further information and details about Mrs. Bush’s visit will be forthcoming.