I didn’t come to the teaching profession in a conventional way. When I was little, my favorite thing to do was play school with my stuffed animals and all four of my grandparents were educators, but I never thought I would follow suit. Still, I always loved going to school and had incredible, inspiring teachers all throughout school.

I went to the University of Florida for public relations at the recommendation of a high school teacher. The Journalism College at UF was a perfect fit for someone who loves to write as much as I do. While at UF, I minored in education for my outside concentration and loved all the classes for the minor. I considered switching to some form of education, but I was already on the public relations path and didn’t want to set myself back to the beginning by changing majors.

I assumed once I graduated I would go into a career in public relations, but I wasn’t really thrilled about it. It wasn’t until winter break before my last semester at UF that I had to think about whether or not I truly wanted to go into public relations.

My parents were trying to convince me to go on to earn a masters degree upon graduating from undergrad. I was against it because I didn’t like any of the communications masters programs. When I expressed this to my parents, they said, “Why not get a masters in education then?”

Once I started looking into education masters programs through USF (so I could return to Bradenton) I found the perfect program offered at USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus. A program for people who majored in something other than education to get their masters degree in elementary education. That was me to a T!

After I decided on that program, I started thinking, “If I’m going to have a masters in education, and all I really want to do is be a teacher, why not teach?” The thought scared me. Anytime I mentioned I was even minoring in education to someone, they would go off about how little teachers are paid, how awful the school systems are, and how it’s the last career I should choose.

But after some serious talks with my parents and Jared, I realized those are all the reasons I should be a teacher. The school systems need someone who is passionate and willing to look past all the cons in an effort to change the lives of their students.

All in the course of three weeks, I completely changed the course of my future. No longer would I be graduating in May and heading straight into the workforce as a public relations professional. I headed back to school in Sarasota to become a teacher – my dream job I had subconsciously suppressed for so long.

The program at USF Sarasota-Manatee is exactly what I wanted and needed. The class sizes are so small and the professors give each student individualized attention. All the work for each of my classes is applicable, real-life work. We’re writing and implementing lesson plans, going into schools to work with students, and learning how to be the best future teachers we can be.

Next year I start my internships in Sarasota County and I could not be more excited to get in the classroom and learn all I can in a hands-on way. Having little undergrad experience in education, I don’t know exactly what grade I want to teach so I’m looking forward to figuring that out through my student teaching.

I am so thrilled to know I will be changing the lives of my students every day in the classroom. That is more valuable to me than any huge paycheck could ever be.