May 16th, 2016 was a day that altered my life forever.  It was a day that ripped me from my familiar world of hallways full of kids, loud field trips on the school bus, taking world concepts and breaking them down to bite sized pieces, and hoping and praying that something you did or said had made an impact on just one young mind each day; and thrust me into a world of private corporate utilities.  

I remember being absolutely terrified of this new change and secretly hoping that no one saw my hands shaking as I reached to pick up the paperwork laid in front of me that morning. I went through the first day HR meetings and learning the layout of the buildings and familiarizing myself with the company. It was quiet here so very quiet. I had never worked somewhere that was quiet all the time. I was used to noisy upbeat and on the go. I walked away from the familiar, comfortable and time consuming underpaid career I had spent $80,000 and 6 years in college for to sit in a quiet office in a quiet hallway in a quiet building.  

All I kept thinking was I had made a huge mistake. This wasn’t where I felt belonged. However, I knew that for my newly forming family it was what was necessary.  For the eleven years I had been teaching I only had one person to answer to and to take care of. Me. Just me. I could squeeze by on Ramen noodles for a week since my once-a-month paycheck I had received three weeks prior had just enough money to buy my gas to work. I could handle that, breakfast and lunch were provided at school (gross) and I could always swing by mom’s house after work for dinner.  I did fine. I spent my spare time working at school making lesson plans and cleaning up the latest mess the kids had made in class. Which usually had something to do with dirt from the greenhouse or sawdust from the wood shop. 

I now had other people to worry about, my soon to be husband and a soon to be stepson that weren’t okay with me just scraping by and when I wasn’t scraping by I wasn’t ever home due to school functions.  After a lot of discussion with my soon to be, we decided that maybe it was time for a change. Maybe it was time to move on to a job that values an education and pays you accordingly for it and lets you be home more with your family. After all, I had waited 32 years to meet my “person” and I knew I didn’t want to spend all my time worried about the next school function, class projects, and field trips. I wanted to walk out the door in the afternoon, shut off my light and go home. I wanted to not have to worry about what was going to happen if I didn’t finish answering that email I had received from a concerned parent before leaving for the night.  

Enter AECI.  I saw an ad on Indeed. The ad was pretty mysterious and vague about the actual job it was advertising but I met the qualifications, exceeded the degree requirements and since at the time I still had a job, I had nothing to lose. I applied that night, put the computer away and went on with my life.  Three weeks later, I got a call to interview. Honestly, I had forgotten about it.  I decided to go to the interview and see what it was all about.  The next few weeks were a bit of a blur. I think I was so nervous about trying to talk to adults instead of teenagers I only remember bits and pieces. Fast forward a week or two and the phone rang. I remember the voices on the other end telling me they were offering me the job and I think I accepted the next day maybe. Like I said it was a blur. 

After a long few months of negotiating out of my contract at school I managed to select a start date. May 16th that day will forever be in my memory. You see most people get a new job because it’s something they “always wanted to do” or “it was a great opportunity”, I was starting something new because I just needed to take a leap of faith. I got through that day and at the end of the day I went home and guess what? I didn’t have to grade any papers, I didn’t have to make a lesson plan, I didn’t have to go to the store for supplies, and I didn’t have to answer a parent email. I got to go home and be with my family somewhat guilt free. It took me a solid year to quit feeling guilty about leaving my students.  Over time, adjusting to the new situation I started to feel less guilt and started to feel more proud. I feel proud that I had the courage to walk away from one profession and start another. I feel proud that I chose to put family first. I am proud that I know I can still make a difference in other ways.

When I walk out of work each day I get to leave it there. I don’t have to work at night anymore and I can leave tasks to finish the next day. I am learning new things all the time. I have challenged myself in ways that I didn’t know I could. 

Some might say big deal you switched jobs. No I switched my life. It was an enormous change and I don’t regret it. This quiet office, quiet hallway in a quiet building has allowed me the opportunity to improve my way of life at home. I get to see my family every day now and my weekends are finally free to spend doing things we love. I made a decision to live a better life.

I get asked daily if I miss teaching. My answer “Every. Single. Day.” But if you asked me are you happy with your decision? I will probably start to tell you a story about a pretty cool little kid that I get to spend time with and a husband who appreciates me putting family first. So yeah, I think I am.