The Road Here
A story that shapes the way I teach today
The story that shapes my teaching/counseling today is rooted in my own educational journey. During my undergraduate studies, I majored in Math. By my junior year, I realized it wasn't the right fit, but the pressure to graduate in four years, compounded by family expectations and a fear of being viewed as a failure, kept me on that path. Looking back, I regret not having the courage to switch to a major that brought me joy. However, I redeemed that experience during my master's in counseling program. I was working full-time to support myself and had to extend my program from two to three years. It felt scary to be behind, but that extra time allowed me to truly learn and grow.
Today, I use these personal experiences to encourage my students to make decisions based on their own goals, rather than a timeline or someone else's expectations. We live in a society that obsesses over doing things on time (e.g., transferring in two years, graduating in four years, etc.). But I’ve seen that many successful students aren't the fastest ones; they are the ones who refused to give up on their goals when life happened. I remind students that there is no such thing as being behind. Their timeline is theirs alone, and their path is unique to them, and they are where they need to be to facilitate their own learning and growth.
One of the hardest lessons I've learned through my journey as an educator
The hardest lesson was learning to respect the dignity of risk (i.e., let students try and deal with the outcomes), because that is how resilience is built. Early in my career, I operated with a rescue mindset, attempting to remove every obstacle to ensure my students succeeded. But I realized that by doing so, I was robbing them of their learning process. I had to learn that students have the right to make their own choices and that my job isn't to ensure they never stumble but to be there to help them get back on their feet after they do. I learned that true empowerment isn't about saving students from failures. It's about providing the tools and support, but respecting their agency to navigate their own path and make their own choices, even the ones I disagree with.
A message for future students and educators
If I could leave one message for future students and educators, it is: Give yourself grace and practice kindness, both to yourself and those around you.
To the educators: You cannot fix every systemic barrier, and you cannot save every student. Being kind to yourself means accepting that you are doing your best in an imperfect system. Your worth is not defined by your students' outcomes, but by the kindness you show up with every day. If you listened, provided accurate info, and treated students with compassion, you did your job.
To the students: You are so much more than a GPA or a transfer decision. Be kind to yourself when you stumble. Give yourself the grace to change your mind and to take the scenic route. It’s okay to ask for help, and you are allowed to be a work in progress.