Teaching Assistant - Commuter

Location(s)

University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA;
Mercy Manhattan in New York City, NY, and Northwestern University in Evanston, IL

Temporary, Full‑Time, Non‑Exempt

$22‑24/hour, depending on the site (details below).

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with a flexible timeline until all positions are filled.

At Thrive Scholars, we provide high‑achieving students from under‑resourced communities the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in meaningful careers.

Our comprehensive and data‑driven program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from any college and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in any career. Thrive Scholars originated in Los Angeles as South Central Scholars (SCS) twenty years ago. Over this time, the organization has refined its program model and, in the last five years, has focused on expanding nationally;

reaching more high‑achieving underrepresented students, growing the number of Scholars we serve; and deepening our program impact. Thrive Scholars has begun to grow its footprint with new summer program offerings in three additional cities, with more to come. The organization has approximately 75 year‑round employees and close to 200 summer employees.

Summer Academy has long been the keystone of Thrive Scholars’ Six‑Year Program, offering a signature summer experience through intensive college‑preparatory courses taught by college instructors. Thrive’s current strategic direction builds on the success of our residential Summer Academy to expand our impact by establishing commuter‑based Academies in cities across the United States. We launched our first two commuter programs in Los Angeles and New York City in 2024 and Chicago in 2025, while simultaneously continuing to offer the residential Summer Academies for Scholars who do not have an academy in their community.

We expect to continue extending our reach to other cities in the coming years.

Our students are high‑achieving, including first‑generation college‑goers from under‑resourced communities, with an average high school GPA of 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. They are eager to learn, inquisitive, and highly motivated to succeed. In general, they see themselves as good students who perform well in school and are determined to live up to that expectation. When scholars attend their first summer academy, whether commuter or residential, they are a rising high school senior.

Thrive Scholars is seeking Teaching Assistants who can work with a faculty member to administer a college math or writing course to our students preparing for the rigor of courses at selective institutions. The math courses are expected to include Pre‑Calculus, Calculus I, and Calculus
2. Final determination of math levels during the 2026 Summer Academies is to be determined based on student demand. The writing course is Introduction to College Writing. The uniqueness of this position lies in its dual focus on supporting students both inside and outside the classroom. Teaching Assistants will foster a sense of community with their assigned students, emphasizing belonging, connectedness, and resilience in a new environment.

In practice, this includes creative ways to start the class period, developing shared meanings and motivational mantras to encourage resilience, and conducting personal check‑ins with students who miss class.

This role provides the opportunity to co‑create and nurture a culture of safety that maximizes student engagement and learning. College readiness teaching assistants serve as both teachers and mentors, combining instructional support with personal guidance.

TA’s will be supported by their faculty members, Academic Coordinators, the Site Director, Assistant Site Director, and Thrive full‑time staff members.

• Serve as the Teaching Assistant for two sections of a college‑level math or writing course in…