When I was a youth, I loved to read. It was rare I could be found without a book nearby. I made many trips to our local library, pedaling my purple bike with a basket I filled with books several times a week. That early love of books, combined with the encouragement of two high school teachers and a book by David Wilkerson, The Cross and the Switchblade, made me think I wanted to be a teacher. But life intervened, and I quit college in 1990 to get married and have a family.
Going back to college in 2008 put me back on the education path. Although my journey was different from what I imagined, my dream of becoming a teacher came true through hard work, sacrifice, and student debt.
My parents always told me that you only get what you work for in life. I found that to be true in my pursuit. For eighteen years, the dream lay buried under everyday life. But when our son reached college age, I knew it was time. I had my associate degree and over 140 college credit hours from the 1980s, but no bachelor’s degree. I wanted to lead by example. So, at 44, I re-enrolled at Henderson State University. I had to change paths due to updated requirements, and graduated with a bachelor’s in General Studies.
School was harder at 44 than at 20. I was more serious, more invested, and far more tired. I worked full-time, drove my kids to practice, kept up a household, and still graduated with a high GPA.
The dream of teaching had been delayed by time, cost, and exhaustion. We lived paycheck to paycheck, and school felt out of reach. Even though teaching high school would have improved our lives, I couldn’t teach with a General Studies degree. Determined to continue, I earned a Master of Science in Higher Education. Halfway through the program, I realized it wouldn’t allow me to teach high school either.
So I enrolled again, this time for a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and Literature. This time, I was all in. But school came at a steep cost—mentally, physically, and financially. Late nights, stress, and a pile of student loans followed me to graduation. By the end of those four years, I was carrying nearly $100,000 in student loan debt. If I could find a government-designated, high-needs school to teach in, loan forgiveness was possible.
Finally, my path led me to where I belonged: teaching on a collegiate level. I may not have gotten there the traditional way, but every time a student leaves my class feeling more confident, more capable, or more hopeful, I know I’m doing the work I was always meant to do.
My story isn’t just about education. It’s about not giving up. It’s about the long road. It’s about showing students that hard work, sacrifice, and yes, even debt, are easier to carry when you believe in where you’re going.
Funny Postscript: Apparently I Was AI Before It Was Cool
Fast-forward to 2025. I ran this very essay through an AI detector. It came back as 80% likely an AI-written essay.
Let me be clear. In 2017, I had never heard of ChatGPT, OpenAI, or anything resembling artificial intelligence for writing. It was just me, my coffee, and my keyboard. But if sounding like a structured machine means I was destined to partner with The Mechanical Muse, I’ll take it as a compliment.
Curious how your writing might fare against AI detectors? You can try ZeroGPT’s AI detector—one of the popular tools people use to check if a piece sounds machine-made. I’m not sponsored, affiliated, or getting anything from this link—just sharing a tool I found useful.
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