That was quick!!

So I took my Praxis I exam on Tuesday. I wasn't expecting to receive my test results for a few weeks, but I wanted to submit my application as soon as possible. So that day, I sent in both my UNR graduate application and my application to enter the Masters of Education, Elementary Education program. Within 24 hours I received a response back from both applications stating that they would like my test scores so that my application can be reviewed. I wasn't worried at this point because I wasn't planning on attending graduate school until January 2015. Surprisingly, I received my test scores yesterday, August 22nd and I was very happy with my results. Math: 181 Reading: 184 Writing: 180 I sent in my scores immediately and received a response back from the College of Education within 5 minutes. The administrator stated that I scored excellent on my exam and they would be able to accept me for Fall 2014. I was so excited!! And then I realized that school starts on Monday, August 25th. I literally have 3 days to prepare for the beginning of grad school career. Things are moving a lot quicker than I expected, but I am so excited and cannot wait to get started on my teaching career.

Today is the day!

So today is my last day as a public employee for the State of Nevada. I feel nervous and anxious, but also very excited! I have already sold 4 things in my TeachersPayTeachers store and feel on top of the world! I know I am making the right choice by following my dreams and acheiving goals one at a time. I will miss my co-workers here, but life is all about living to the fullest and I will keep in touch. Tomorrow, my daughter and I are schedule to fly into Portland to see our family. Rylee will meet all of her family and I am sure we will have a wonderful time. After our vacation it's study time! My Praxis I exam is on August 19th. That gives me six days to study my butt off. I cannot wait to start my Master's program at the University of Nevada, Reno. Most people say it's a fairly easy test, but you never know. In my opinion, you can never be too prepared. Life is full of challenges. It's all about taking one day at a time :)

Just Registered for the Praxis I

I think I am ready, but so nervous!

And so it begins....

After deciding that I was in the wrong career, I started coming up with a plan to move in the right direction. At first, I thought I would give myself 2 years to get money saved up and prepare myself for entering school full-time again. Unfortunately, I am a very anxious person and I don't wait for anything. After a few days of deliberation I decided I would give myself 3 months to prepare for my journey into teaching. Yeah I know, I sound crazy (which I might be), but I was determined to make it happen. I wrote the details over and over and over again in numerous notebooks. How would I pay for school, how would I get my substitute license, how would I support my family on $82 a day, what if my plan doesn't go the way I intend, what if, what if, what if. The list is endless. I knew I either had to go all in or not at all. In April, I started writing down all my expenses and figuring out how much I needed to live on in order to be comfortable if I quit my job. After writing it out a few hundred times (literally) I finally determined that it was feasible after all. Throughout May I gathered all my forms and transcripts that I needed to submit my license for substitute teaching. I needed transcripts, fingerprints, a notarized form, and $161. Kind of a pain in the butt, but it was worth it to me. By the middle of June I had finally submitted my paperwork. The secretary at the front desk told me it would be 8 - 10 weeks before I would here anything. That seemed like an eternity. In the meantime, I gathered all my stuff for my graduate school submission. Transcripts, 3 letters of recommendation, my philosophy of education 4 page essay, 3 forms, an online applications, a pre professional skills test, a resume, and the FAFSA. It seemed like a lot of work, but I was so determined, nothing would hold me back. Now it's the first day of August and I already feel so accomplished. I have my substitute teaching license for K-12 and my interview is on August 28th (which I heard is a breeze). My last step is to turn in my grad school applications, which I'm not too worried about since I am an alumni. Anyway, my last day with the State of Nevada is August 7th and I am counting down the minutes. More time to spend with my daughter, more time to pursue my passion, and more me time. What could be better. Let's just hope my plan unravels the way I'm picturing it to. Fingers crossed!

First Post! Journey to Teaching...

Wow, what a year it's been! My life has taken such a dramatic turn it's hard to believe! A little bit about me. I am a 24 year old aspiring teacher residing in Reno, NV. After graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno in May of 2013, I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl Rylee Jean in September. A healthy and gigantic 9 pounds, 3 ounces, and 21.5 inches long. And heck no I did not have her naturally. Ouch! (I can picture the look on your face already.) In January of this year I accepted a wonderful paying job with the State of Nevada, complete with full health benefits, retirement, and the whole shabang. But, something was missing. I felt kind of lost. I just had this beautiful baby girl, a good paying job, and a college degree. What more could I possibly need? I remember one day I was sitting at my desk staring into my computer screen. I had totally zoned out. All of a sudden I got this chill down my spine and it hit me! This wasn't the profession I belonged in. The business life just didn't satisfy my soul's craving of ultimate satisfaction. A couple of years back when I began my undergrad studies, I contemplated going into the education field. Teaching and working with children is my passion, but I decided against it. For 2 reasons. 1) Everyone kept saying "oh you'll never make any money" or "yikes, good luck" and even "what would posses you to do that." And 2) I was young and had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life. But at that moment sitting at my desk in my cubbicle I realized that my ultimate destiny was to work with children, more specifically, teach children. I knew I needed to continue my education and become an elementary school teacher. And so the journey began.