Every time I think about why I’m involved with Teach For America, I think about my grade-school classmates. The peers that stick out in my mind the most are those who are incarcerated or deceased, those who could have graduated from high school and headed off to college.

Because of difficult home situations or the challenges of poverty pervasive in their neighborhoods, they made bad decisions like selling drugs and joining gangs. These were not dumb kids, and they had all of the possibilities in the world in their futures.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have adults – family, teachers, or school leaders – who encouraged them to want more for themselves. Just because one lives in poverty does not mean there isn’t great possibility in his or her future.

The stories of my peers are all too common among students growing up in low-income communities. When kids growing up in poverty enter kindergarten, they are already academically behind their wealthier peers. This gap in educational opportunity only widens over time. By the fourth grade, they are three grade levels behind and half won’t graduate from high school. Only one in 13 will attend college and for those lacking a college degree, many doors are firmly shut.

As a student at The University of Alabama, this injustice gnawed at me. Here, I had access to a first-class college education, while just a few miles away kids in nearby neighborhoods similar to the ones in my hometown were falling further and further behind.

I knew I wanted to find a way to help expand educational opportunity for our 16 million children growing up in poverty. These kids can’t wait. They only get one shot at a good education. That’s why I became an advocate for Teach For America, work as a campus campaign coordinator for Teach For America and will begin teaching secondary math this fall.

For too long, one’s ZIP code and family income has defined educational destiny, but we know that with an all hands-on-deck approach, educational inequity is a solvable problem. With the commitment of educators and leaders across sectors, we can give all of our children an excellent education.

While Teach For America corps members start by making a two-year commitment, the experience has a lasting impact. I’m looking forward to working alongside other teachers, parents, administrators and community members in the pursuit of excellence for our students. I’ll be proud to make a difference in the lives of my students and hope it will rival the transformational impact they will have on me.

Knowing that we can close the opportunity gap, I simply can’t walk away from this work. It is more urgent than ever that we give our children, regardless of their family income, the kind of education that will allow them to reach their full potential. As you think about the role you will play in the broader world upon graduation, I hope you will consider joining me in these efforts.

Jasmine Cannon is a fall 2012 graduate of The University of Alabama. She is a 2013 Teach For America corps member who will be teaching in the Alabama region.