I think of my professional career as a sandwich! It's not that I love food so much, but it is the best way to describe the professional part of my life. Let me explain...
From second grade on, teachers have been role models for me, and that's when I decided to become a teacher. Granted, not all of my teachers were great examples of what to do: a few were just the opposite--stellar examples of what NOT to do. Nonetheless, they planted a collective seed in me which eventually took me in the direction of teaching.
I was born in Philadelphia, and when I was four, my family and I moved across the Delaware River to a small town in New Jersey named Maple Shade. After graduating from Merchantville High School, I attended Coker College (now Coker University) in Hartsville, SC. After my freshman year, I transferred back up North to Montclair State University where I received a BA degree in Secondary Education. I taught in New Jersey for five years until districts started cutting budgets and with that, teachers. This is when I thought that I would try a career in business, figuring it would be more stable.
My first job in business was a sales job in Lower Manhattan. I thought I was entering an entirely new profession, but I soon realized that Sales and Teaching have a lot in common: you need good listening skills; organizational skills; planning skills; a creative and engaging personality; persuasive skills; and most importantly, persistence. All of these traits were well-practiced in my classroom and transitioned over to my new profession. I worked for and was very successful with companies like 3M and AT&T. I got to travel with these companies--even to the 3M London office to train their people. Yes, I was still teaching, but not always in a classroom. During my time at 3M and AT&T, I was teaching /persuading prospects to become customers in cities like Philadelphia, Manhattan, and Chicago. For a year, I was even a National Sales Trainer, traveling around the country teaching our own sales reps as well as our distributors how to sell our products.
It wasn't until I moved to Beaufort to be with my sister and nephew that I decided to return to the classroom. I have been at RLOACS for nine years and in the ML Department for eight of those years. I thoroughly enjoy my students, and my passion and mission have not changed since I first became a teacher... I desire to transform lives through the power of education.
So, getting back to the sandwich... ((I bet you thought I forgot!) By now, I think you can understand why I used that analogy: the teaching at the top (beginning) and bottom (presently) with the center being my business career. The "secret sauce" and all the fixings that are on my sandwich are the people and experiences I've had that make this sandwich delicious, challenging, and one of a kind.
I'd like to close with this observation. There are many things that I've learned in life; and as I write this, one of them really stands out to me. That is, you can't get away from a calling! I hope this inspires you to tap into yours, as it is only then that you will find your passion and true satisfaction.
