Life Begins After a Layoff

Late one night toward the end of March 2006, I flopped backwards onto my bed and asked God to find me another job. I told Him that I didn't feel like I was in the right place working at HTI and I was willing to make a change, even though it might mean not seeing dear friends on a daily basis and possibly leaving Hutchinson. I submitted a prayer to the Lord asking Him to find me a job that I would enjoy doing for the next 20 plus years. In addition to joyful work, I asked for enough money to make ends meet, for work that involved helping people and here's the long shot -- I asked for summers off so my children wouldn't be running around unsupervised as they grew up.

Two weeks later I got a six week notice that my position was being eliminated due to customer mergers. I was not surprised when I got the news -- and I was thrilled! I knew that God had begun to answer my prayer and I was excited for what the future held! People at work were surprised by my attitude as I continued to do my job with more cheerfulness than I had previously. Some thought I was in shock and didn't realize my situation, after all I was about to become an unemployed single mom. But I knew something good was coming!

The severance pay I received lasted me through the summer as I applied for various positions but only half-heartedly so. Being off for the first summer since 1980 was a treat and my children and I loved it! It was definitely something I could get used to but the bills had to be paid and fall was coming and the severance was almost used up.

A friend from church suggested I apply for a job at the Hutchinson Middle School as a Computer Lab Educational Assistant. It turned out to be a part-time job and the pay wasn't what I was used to making previously, but when I was offered the job I took it. The 2006-2007 school year began and when I walked into the middle school, I felt like I had come home. As I assisted the teachers and kids in the lab, I knew that I wanted to become a teacher. I loved working at the Middle School. For a time in high school I had considered becoming a teacher, but didn't want to deal with the classroom management aspect of teaching, and therefore had put it out of my mind and pursued other majors.

With a B.S. in Management & Ethics and over 20 years in business, my best option was to become a business education teacher. In October of 2006, I enrolled in an M.Ed. online program through Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. (Please note that this is not the same school as Phoenix University.)

Little did I know that my journey toward becoming a teacher would become one of the greatest challenges of my life with many obstacles to overcome. Yet, it would also become one of my most exciting adventures!