Finger is the daughter of Highland Principal Mark Finger and Susan Finger, a teacher at East Side Middle School. Hird is the son of Tim Hird, a teacher at East Side Middle School, and Sandy Hird, a teacher at Daleville Elementary. Watkins is the daughter of Doug and Susan Watkins. She teaches at Ebbertt Education Center.

“I’ve said all year that I don’t know how anybody does first-year teaching or Teach for America without coming from a family of teachers,” Hird said. “They are my own focus group and my best asset.”

While most graduates who teach in the program move on to other careers, TFA says more than 60 percent of alumni continue to teach or pursue further study in education after their time in the program ends.

“I went into the program keeping an open mind about teaching and that being a possible future career path,” Watkins said. “I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’m happy teaching.”

Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com

By the numbers

•4,100

Number of college graduates selected for Teach For America this year — the highest number in group’s 20-year history.

•35,000

Number of college graduates who applied for those positions.

•34

Number of rural and urban areas from New England to Hawaii where the Teach For America corps will instruct students in low-income schools.