Earlier this year I completed my bachelor’s degree.
It was a really long time coming (more on that later). I was recently reminded of how quickly my education came together.
This popped up in my Facebook memories. It was from August 2022. I was following Cherokee’s footsteps into education.
Why did I make the move? The biggest was for family time. I put in 15 years in healthcare. My last four years were in neuro diagnostics. I genuinely believed I found my career when I made that switch. Yet, it was a job that required a week on call 24/7 each month. I missed kids’ activities and games. We made plans around the on call schedule. I spent weekends driving back and forth to the hospital. I was exhausted from healthcare, especially coming off of COVID.
That explains why I left healthcare but not why I chose education. Ironically, I started college at 18 studying social studies education. By 19 or 20, I couldn’t see myself teaching. Then I spent the next two decades years training new employees and eventually becoming a CPR instructor. One of my favorite responsibilities was training and educating.
Education was a natural fit.
I spent a lot of my adult life in college. More than I should recount. I obtained my basic EMT certification, put time into a network administration degree, tried my hand at programming, and ended at IT. Despite my propensity towards computers, none of those ever felt like a natural fit.
Cherokee was nearly finished with her education degree when I decided that I would follow a similar path. Not everything was a breeze but the classes felt right. It finally felt like the right direction.
I couldn’t have been any luckier. In 2023, I took a position as a long term substitute teacher. I landed at the school I wanted and teaching my preferred subject. After two and a half years at Western Governors University, I finally completed a degree. I’m still in the same classroom as a licensed teacher (also thanks to a little help from Teachers of Tomorrow).
Seeing that memory pop up reminded me of how much life has changed. It also reminded me of how quickly these changes have occurred for me and for my family.
Nothing is perfect. There have been struggles adjusting. I took a pay cut to make the move. However, I have spent the last two summers off with my family. I can be home for dinner and I don’t miss games for a job. It has absolutely been worth any sacrifices along the way.
I also could not have done it without their support. Cherokee encouraged me to explore my teaching options. She picked up my slack when I studied. She drove extra on trips (yeah, that woman drives when we’re towing a camper!) so I could work in the car. The kids picked up some extra chores so I had time to write papers. They understood when Dad was still studying chemistry.
This is what Cherokee and I do though. When she switched majors to education, I supported her. When she had papers to write, tests to take, cohorts to attend, I did everything I could around the house. She has supported me right back.