HERE WE GO!!

There was a current of electricity in the air as we were all excited for what was to come. We moved from the smaller auditorium that corralled the three different schools of college to the larger auditorium where we found chairs, listened to speeches that were at the time very inspiring, and waited as each students name was read aloud and they journeyed across the stage to shake hands with our academic leaders. I was still student teaching at a project-based high school when I was with my peers accepting our diplomas. I thought of all the possibilities in front of me. I remember thinking that the world was wide open for me, that I had taken a huge step on a journey. I had so many dreams, some that came into fruition and others that are still just a thought.

A few months passed and I found employment at Main Street School of Performing Arts where I was hired as a long-term substitute teacher and paraprofessional. A year later, I got my own classroom and teaching a myriad of classes for grades 9-12. During my tenure there, I brought books into the classroom to challenge the historical cannon and had students engage with content through the arts and large group projects. We examined literature through Socratic Seminars to share our own experience to the text, hear about others perspectives, and come to conclusions on how the text impacted us as individuals and what is the work saying as a whole. These skills are fundamental in creating community and driving creativity, both pillars of the subject of humanities. I brought in professionals into the classroom to give feedback and grounded advice in real time on projects, much to the enjoyment of my students. Teaching was truly a privilege and I am so thankful for each student I got to work with.

After three years of teaching, I began hearing a voice. It was my heart telling me that, although this time at MSSPA was monumental, it was not my forever place. I left and returned to the service industry where I worked as a barista and worked my way up quickly into management. However, despite leaving public teaching, I managed to find my way into consulting and developing the cafe’s onboarding and education processes. Anytime we had a new hire, I would take them under my wing to ensure that they were trained how the owners wanted and worked on acclimating them into the company culture. Another three years passed and I still wasn’t satisfied. I looked around the cafe one morning, looked over to the other opening manager and shared my concerns with where I was. He was open to my story and acknowledged my trails and tribulations. He looked at me with wisdom in his eyes and told me to listen to my heart. I left the service industry for another educator position within the healthcare industry.

Four years later I have gained a lot of experience in corporate America. I got to rollout recognition and cultural programs for our diverse staff population. I sailed through unknown waters during an acquisition. I worked with a myriad of stakeholders and learned enough corporate jargon to last me a few lifetimes. But as year four came full circle, my heart started doing it again. I was not fulfilled. Teaching was a dream and I am grateful that I get to still engage folks to think critically about the world we all share. However, the dreams that I had in that auditorium seat are still waiting to come to fruition. They cannot grow without my nurturing.

Ten years is a long time. During these last ten years, I have thought that tomorrow would be the day. Tomorrow would be the day that I get hired at Disney. That tomorrow would be the day the first draft of my book would be finished without any assistance from me. Tomorrow will come, but what tomorrow brings is ultimately up to us. Ten years has brought laughs, tears, successes, and set backs which have paved my first few moments of autonomy in this world. As I look back and ponder that short period of time, I look to the long road ahead of me. Ten years from now I hope to have books published, interviews uploaded, and discussion every day about movies and books that make more people curious about the world. I invite you to join me as we take this one step at a time, for tomorrow is right around the corner.