Ever since she declared as a history major at Cal, Kristen Vredeveld envisioned herself moving straight to law school following graduation in May of 2017. But a visitor to a legal studies class last spring put a swift change into those plans, and now the Golden Bear senior swimmer will soon find herself headed to Atlanta for two years to participate in the Teach for America program.
 
Founded in 1989, Teach for America enlists college graduates to help create and grow educational opportunities for youth in more than 50 markets across the country. While the program boasts nearly 50,000 alumni, Vredeveld is the first Cal women's swimmer to enter the program.
 
"I think it's such a good way to make an impact," Vredeveld said. "I know that I'm going to be going into schools where there's been this huge disparity over the years."
 
What is inspiring Vredeveld is her desire to give back after growing up in what she describes as a privileged environment in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her mother, Sandy, is a pharmacist, while her father, Roger, taught social studies and English at the Baylor School, where Kristen starred in the pool and won 16 state titles in individual and relay events.
 
"My parents were super involved," said Vredeveld, a multi-time Scholar All-American and Pac-12 All-Academic selection for the Bears. "For breaks, we would go to museums and look at historical sites and national parks rather than just stay home. I was able to do all this stuff. Now that I know how much of that is based on privilege, I just want to help give back."
 

With her interest piqued about the Teach for America program last spring, Vredeveld met with Jennifer Hill, the manager of recruitment strategy operations for TFA. Everything Vredeveld learned about the organization seemed to fit her interests, and soon she was on track to apply.
 
But TFA clearly doesn't accept every applicant and Vredeveld went through the thorough assessment process. First there was an essay, followed by a phone interview and an in-person interview where topics ranged problem solving to leadership – skills Vredeveld has developed as a Cal swimmer and team co-captain. Then she had to create a lesson plan and teach it for several minutes, showing that she has the ability to lead a classroom – "I talked about eighth-grade English," she said. As last steps, she had to complete a group project with other applicants to resolve a school district program, and finally, she had a formal sit-down interview.
 
Having been fully scrutinized, Vredeveld passed the test and will be heading to Georgia in June with her Cal degree in hand. And for the next two years, she'll be in an Atlanta-area classroom helping disadvantaged kids strive to improve their lives.
 
"A lot of what TFA has sent me shows what people have done afterwards," Vredeveld said. "People have gone to law school or become principals. It's all based on the principle that everyone deserves a quality education."
 
For such a noble cause, Vredeveld is gladly putting law school on hold.