*Image courtesy of Connecticut Education Association (CEA).

It took me a long time to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but no matter where I was on my winding path, I always knew I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to do work that mattered.

After pursuing a degree in musical theatre, I spent a number of years living in New York City, auditioning, performing and working in lots of other fields.

I learned so much, but those jobs—that life—always left me wanting. They left me feeling empty and uninspired, like something was missing.

It would take a few more years of soul-searching, volunteering, schooling and traveling, but I would soon realize all my talents and skills and passions coalesced in the classroom. Everything I had ever wanted, all that I believed was important, could be found through teaching.

Despite how much I love teaching and the way it defines and gives purpose to my life, I never could have imagined I would be named Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year. I feel so privileged to be an ambassador for public school teachers and students. It is a great and daunting responsibility, but I feel so passionately about the importance of public education and the power of this profession that I am eager to begin the work that lies ahead.

As Teacher of the Year, one of the things I am most excited about is the opportunity to speak with teacher-hopefuls, with people interested in pursuing a career in the classroom… people like you.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you: Teaching is not easy. Its challenges are many, but the rewards are so extraordinary that it makes the struggles and frustrations worth it.

I’m rewarded when a fourteen-year-old finds the energy and focus to care about The Odyssey, or about nouns and verbs, when their home life is falling apart. I know sometimes they’re only doing it for me, because I’ve asked. I’m keenly aware that sometimes the only thing keeping that kid in the room with their brain on the book and not on their personal tumults is me. That is a staggering realization, but I’ve accepted this awesome and daunting responsibility, so I take it seriously. That privilege, though challenging and exhausting, is a reward.

I want to tell you how incredibly rewarding it is to work with young people; I want you to know how meaningful this work can be. I want you to understand that while the work is incredibly hard, if you’re ready for the challenge, if you’re interested in changing the world for the better, then teaching is—without a doubt—the best and most important job in the world.

Even for an English teacher, it’s difficult to articulate how powerful the feeling is when students tell me they’ve learned something, or when they tell me they’ve discovered something about themselves or about how they learn as a result of my class. When a student tells me he or she has felt comfortable enough to make mistakes or take risks in the classroom, I am consumed by joy. I am bolstered and rejuvenated. I am reminded that what I do does matter.

Every single year I am amazed by what I am able to experience as a teacher. I get to use my diverse life experiences to connect with and engage my students—from my theatre training in New York City, and my time spent living on organic farms in Ecuador, to teaching in a rural fishing village in Ghana. I get to be creative and inventive and collaborative with other passionate, talented and like-minded people.

I have developed a network—and a friend circle—of the most dedicated, interesting and intelligent people. They help me on my hardest days, and they kindle the flames of inspiration, sparking new ideas and encouraging me to take risks. I have discovered new ways of seeing, and have learned things about myself and the world that have moved and motivated me.

And it’s not just inside the classroom where these incredible, transformative experiences happen—it’s after school, too.

Once I finally understood that I wanted to be a teacher, I knew I wanted to teach high school English. Books had been a constant companion in my life. They inspired my journeying, opened my eyes and moved me to action, so I knew that reading could change lives. I was eager to figure out ways to ignite that passion for literature and writing in young adults. What I didn’t expect was the richness and gratification that would come from my work beyond the English classroom.

I have been profoundly changed, both as an educator and as a human being, thanks to the opportunities I’ve had as an advisor to various extracurricular clubs. I’ve advised the Gay-Straight Alliance, the Preserving Our Histories film club, the One Region, One Book district-wide reading initiative, and the junior Rotary “Interact” club.

My pride and joy, however, is Woodland Worldwide, an organization that expands opportunities for women and girls, empowering them to move out of situations of oppression. Lisa Olivere—my partner and founder of the organization—and I work with our students on issues of leadership, advocacy and social justice, developing programs that help our students explore their world, become educated on the issues and empower themselves to make a difference. And while I’m incredibly proud of the way the club has impacted communities and improved the lives of others, my own life has been enriched and made better because of this work.

During my first year as a teacher, I was able to use my singing voice and performance experiences to put on a concert that helped fundraise more than $1,000 to support Woodland Worldwide scholarships and programming. Soon after that, I was able to meet AnnaLynne McCord, a Holywood actress, and Somaly Mam, a Cambodian author and activist, both of whom gained international fame in battling human trafficking and who came to our school to support our club’s efforts in raising awareness about the same issue.

In the ensuing years, I would learn how to organize a community-wide 5K event, how to direct a leadership conference, how to write grants, develop programs and run workshops. I would get to dance in a flash mob, attend Malala Yousafzai’s speaking tour, soar across fields on a zipline, scale a high-ropes course, write scripts for and perform in awareness-raising cabaret shows and I would get to do it alongside my amazing students and colleagues. Who knew that this was a part of teaching?

Now I know that teaching is all of this and more. Teachers help students hone their skills, build confidence, find their voice and discover their purpose, and we do it in myriad ways. The work teachers do, both in and out of the classroom, deeply impacts the lives of young people, guiding and shaping their futures.

How do I know?

Because another incredible benefit of teaching is building lifelong relationships with students, many of whom are now pursuing careers centered around activism, social justice, service and education. I see the direct results of my impact not only in their choice of profession, but in the ways they live their lives. They are informed citizens invested in their democracy. They are civically active and give back to their communities. They use their voices to lift others up and to make a positive impact on the world. They learned how to do this from their teachers.

What greater job is there?

I came to teaching later in my life after spending a decade working in other fields, traveling, and volunteering. I had been searching for a long time, looking for the work that would truly bring meaning and purpose to my days. If you are looking for a dynamic career that will energize and challenge you, that will allow you to grow and to be a lifelong learner, that will matter, make a difference and enrich your life, then teaching might feel like home.

Want to start your own epic story? Contact a TEACH Connecticut coach to learn how you can become a teacher.

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