Life is constantly changing, and with that, so do goals. Some people know what they want to do in life from a young age and eventually make that their career. Others may think they know what they want to do, but their plans suddenly change later in life. Teachers are no different; not all of them wanted to be teachers originally. Some have been wanting to teach their whole lives. No matter which type of person one may be, it’s crucial to let the heart lead the way; it will all pay off in the end.
Mike Clayton, assistant principal: “I have known that I wanted to be a teacher and coach since I was in the fifth grade. I did, for a time, want to stay in the Marines until retirement but decided to get out and start coaching after my initial enlistment. Other than that, I don’t think there is anything else I would want to do with my life.”
Rebecca Hunter, marketing teacher: “No, I didn’t want to be a teacher. I wanted to be an orthodontist when I was first out of high school.”
Mica Martin, teen leadership teacher: “No. I wanted to be an ER nurse or a mortician… but I absolutely cannot handle the smells and I’ve learned I’m scared of dead bodies. I started subbing with plans to be an elementary teacher, and I was begged to fill a spot at the high school. I knew I had found my people on that very day.”
Kari Trevino, assistant principal: “I wanted to be a teacher since the first day of kindergarten when I saw the teacher write on the chalkboard. I thought that was the coolest thing I’d ever seen! Ironically, I’ve never taught in a classroom with a chalkboard – I’ve always had dry erase boards. If I weren’t in education, I would be a meteorologist.”
Haley Hoeflein, ag teacher: “Yes, I am boring and I have wanted to be an ag teacher since my first day of Ag class.”
Angela Nichols, English teacher: “When I was a young child, I always wanted to fly. I wanted to be a flight attendant. When I was a little older, I wanted to join the Foreign Service. However, life had something else in store for me. Teaching turned out to be my real passion. I love what I do very much. When I retire from teaching, I will focus on business ventures. Maybe I will learn to fly.”
Clint DeArman, athletic director: “I wasn’t sure what I was going to do going into my last semester of college. I had given thought to becoming a firefighter at one point and possibly modeling. Thankfully, I ran into one of my old coaches who convinced me into teaching and coaching. I stayed in contact with him through the semester and he hired me as soon as I graduated in December of ’98.”
Celeste Neal, principal: “I really wanted to be a flight attendant after I finished college. However, the person I was dating after college was a coach, so I decided to become a teacher/coach. I am still considering becoming a flight attendant after I retire. I love to travel.”
Bria Bird, science teacher: “Nope. I wanted to be a veterinarian.”
Jeremy Gillmore, social studies: “No, I did not always want to be a teacher, but…in the back of my mind I always wanted to coach football. I was blessed with a great high school coaching staff that made a positive impact on me. Originally, I went to college with the goal to work in law enforcement on the federal level. At that time, people following that path were encouraged to get a business degree. I soon realized that was not what I wanted to spend the next four years trying to get, just to go into law enforcement. I decided to get a degree in education. In Texas, you have to have a teaching degree and be a teacher to coach. That is how I got to where I am today.”
These are some of the smartest people one can encounter on a daily basis, and not all of them followed their plans to a T. If anyone is struggling with deciding what to major in, or even just what to do in the next few months, don’t stress. Life has a plan for everyone.
