Upon entering the Masters of Arts in Education Degree (MAED) program at Michigan State University, my goals were initially centered around Elementary instruction and the ability to make an impact in my students' lives. The next step of choosing a concentration seemed simple enough. My love for reading and literacy started at a young age and has continued throughout my adult-hood. I discovered this passion to be translatable to the classroom as it is often the primary focus, especially at the earlier grade-levels in which I found myself gravitating towards. Knowing this, choosing a concentration of Literacy Education seemed like a no-brainer. After making this initial decision, I took time to sit down and map out what was important to me in my path towards obtaining my degree and what I thought it should look like. Ultimately, my goals were to instill in my students the same passion and love for learning I have carried with me, and how to best express this through both reading and writing. At the same time, I set out to learn the ways in which to navigate learner differences and make my instruction accessible and beneficial to all learners.
​
Fast forward two years later, and my initial path has taken a detour. For the past year and a half of my teaching career, I realized I was losing sight of my purpose. I was no longer enjoying going to work and felt lost and, like my passion for teaching, was depleted to the point of no return. It was not fair to my students and ultimately myself to continue along this road that was no longer meant for me. In February 2022, I turned in my resignation and began my next journey towards personal growth. Three months later, I am working as a Talent Acquisition Specialist and have truly never been happier in my decision to put me first.
​
Despite this career change, I chose to continue pursuing my MAED as I am still passionate about literacy and the education of others. I have always thought of myself as a lifelong learner, and will never stop being an educator in some regard. While it seems evident that my goals have shifted from my initial entry into the program, I would not say they have entirely changed. In my current role, I have similar opportunities every day to make a positive impact in the lives of others. The only difference is the age-group in which I am now targeting, but really the end goal of growth and personal development is the same. At the same time, I still plan on seeking out ways in which to instruct and teach regardless of what occupational setting I find myself. As I have learned throughout my courses in this program, learning never truly stops and is not restricted to the classrooms. Knowing this, I am eager to see where this journey continues to take me next.
