Day 10: Career Day!!

A mommy, a cheerleader, and a teacher.

When I was like 4 years old, my mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and that was my answer. Her response? Just make sure you do it in the right order. Relevant advice for a 4 year old, right? She still laughs about that.

Anyway...2 out of 3 isn't bad, right? And kind of in the "right" order?

I was a cheerleader from 7th grade through my Junior year of high school. And I loooooooooved it! I still wish that I had kept it up through college, but I just didn't have the self confidence at that age. I didn't think I was good enough, therefore I didn't try. The risk-benefit ratio was not nearly enough in my favor...and I hadn't learned how to manage failure very well at that age either. I stopped cheerleading at the end of my Junior year of high school because of problems with our coach (in my defense, everyone agrees to this day that she was a heinous woman). Because I had broken my hand that season and was unable to perform at games, she petitioned to have my letterman status revoked. I still showed up to EVERY practice and game, and was present for EVERYTHING, but she didn't think I had earned my letter. Lucky for me, the Athletic Director at the time liked me and made things right. However, I couldn't get past my bias toward the coach, nor did I think she would let me back on the squad the following season, so I didn't try out for my Senior year. And that, friends, was the sad end to my cheerleading career.

I earned my Master's Degree in Teaching, with an initial licensure teaching credential, from Austin Peay State University on December 18, 2009. It's hard to believe that was almost 1 full year ago...seems like just yesterday I was starting my Master's program, completely terrified and clueless. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher (except during the phase in which I wanted to be a Veterinarian. Until I realized that also required putting animals to sleep. Not cool.) but it was important to me to get my Bachelor's Degree prior to any licensure program. I have been steadily involved with tutoring and other youth programs since graduating high school in 2003, and there was no doubt in my mind that was what I was meant to do with my life. So, after taking a year off from college between 2007-2008 and realizing that I really didn't like the "real world," nor did I want to work at Bank of America for the rest of my life, I decided to go back to school. I had lived in Kentucky for a full year at this point, so I was granted residency status at APSU in Clarksville, TN and from start to finish, the whole process took about 2 weeks. I had my financial aid taken care of, my admissions and registration taken care of, and my classes taken care of by August 1, 2008. I applied to APSU in the second week of July.

It's a good thing the process moved quickly. I didn't have the time to second-guess or question my decision. It was all on my instincts and I thought it was meant to be that the program I had searched far and wide for was actually found at a University in the town in which I was currently working. AND I wouldn't have to pay out-of-state tuition. AND the classes were scheduled so I could work and go to school full time. AND I was recently coming out of a devastating breakup which inspired me to do all sorts of crazy things, like cut my hair and dye it blonde (ish), start talking to Clint Singleton again, and enroll in Grad school.

Who says motivation doesn't come in a variety of ways?!

Oh, and I don't have anything to add about my time in the field of Mommy employment. Give us a few years and I'll get back to you on that. We would like to enjoy each other's company for awhile until we get bored and decide we'd like to introduce a new member into the family, which will inspire us to wish we could just sit around and enjoy each other's company again. We're looking forward to the joys of parenthood...*yikes face*

PS. Fun fact of the day. When Clint was little he said he wanted to be a fireman, a truck driver, and a carpenter when he grew up. And he currently is/can be when needed ALL THREE!!! How scary is THAT? What an occupationally minded child he was.