Upon graduation from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Business Economics, Jake Whitman (’99) applied for a chance to be part of Teach for America (TFA). It is a national corps of young leaders chosen from the top of their college class. When selected, these graduates give a two-year commitment to teach in low-income communities to help close the achievement gap. Jake was selected by TFA and taught special education math in a public high school in North Philadelphia. Jake discovered that the vast majority of his students wanted to learn and to succeed saying, “It was often social issues inside and outside of school like low expectations, violence, and not enough food on the table that created the biggest obstacles to learning; education can help change that.” Jake enjoyed his teaching experience so much that he wrote a book Destination: Teach For America to share his experience and to offer advice on the application process, published in 2012.
Two days after Jake’s teaching experience ended, he started a nonprofit organization called Sports Teaching and Reaching Students in STARS-supported schools. Teachers often report better attendance, higher grades, more confidence, better discipline, and fewer health problems among their student athletes. Jake led the STARS organization for two years, applying for grants, securing donations from private individuals and corporate sponsors, and requesting donations of gently-used equipment from university programs. STARS is now run by a board of directors who continue to build exceptional athletic programs at low-income schools.
Jake joined Procter & Gamble in 2013 as an Assistant Brand Manager. He currently manages Old Spice, determining and leading the marketing and strategic direction for the brand. Jake enjoys presenting products to consumers and works hard to understand their needs.
When Jake reflects back on his 9-year experience at The New School, he remembers sitting around the peace pole, talking about domestic and global issues and wondering why there are so many problems in the world. “Having those conversations at a young age is important,” Jake says. He also credits his Montessori training for his time-management skills saying, “That is an extremely important skill that is not given to children at most schools. Being encouraged to succeed while managing that kind of freedom is an amazing opportunity for a child. I attribute a lot of my management skills and social awareness to those seeds planted at TNS. The New School helped me build that important part of my life.”