The good Cornellians can do: Rashel Dorleans ’07

Rashel did not always know she would become a teacher. Both her grandfather and her older sister were teachers, and Rashel gravitated to the profession as she realized the impact she could have on students.

“I wanted to be a model and a beacon for someone,” she says.

A child of immigrants, she recognized the power of education to open doors—especially for students for whom English is not their first language. Rashel teaches English as a New Language at the High School for Medical Professions, a Title I public school in Brooklyn, New York.

“Seeing students who come with very little English work hard and blossom into self-assured individuals is why I teach,” Rashel says. “This is not the case for every student, and some days are incredibly difficult (it is high school!) But, as a child of immigrants, I know how important language is to access and opportunities.”

After nine years in the classroom, Rashel knows she’s having an impact. From hearing a student speak for the first time after a long silent period, to celebrating graduation with a student who never believed she’d finish high school, to seeing a former student coaching other immigrant students with English—Rashel is proud of the work she’s doing.

Rashel is one of approximately 400 master teachers participating in the 2025-2026 Fulbright Teacher Exchanges, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX).

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