Since my last post, many exciting life things have happened: I got a job teaching, graduated college with my Bachelor's degree, I was in two of my closest friends' weddings and attended another, and I officially became a Florida resident. That was the stage of life that seemed to be up in the air the most - and boy was it worrisome. Graduating was hard, but I did it and that's all that matters! (WOOO!) The weddings were amazing and full of God, love, and adorableness; but I want to talk about my teaching job. You may want to hold on to your seats because God may just blow you away . . . Coming into freshman year of college, if you asked anyone who really knew me, they would tell you that I did not plan on teaching in Florida. I wanted to go elsewhere after college but did not know where. As a freshman, sophomore and even junior, these weren't far-fetched ideas. The beginning of senior year is when I truly started to think about where I wanted to land. I thought about Oregon because I had a friend out there. I also thought of North Carolina because I had friends who lived there that could hook me up - potentially. Time went on and nothing seemed to be clicking, like God hadn't given me a "go". Spring semester rolled around and the idea of living with my friend's mom outside of Atlanta sounded like the perfect plan. The mom was on board with it and the more I prayed about it, the more it seemed like this was God's plan. But I couldn't be more wrong.
At the end of the Fall semester, I handed over my presidency of my organization, Renown. Since I had so much "free time" (that I didn't actually have) I figured that I could fill that time with something else I really wanted to do: be a youth leader for my church. When I started, it was a bit rough because no one really knew me. But as time went on, I learned to love it. At one point in time early on in the Spring semester, this feeling came over me that was like a bucket of peace was dropped over me. I felt so at peace with staying in DeLand. Whether I can thank these kids for helping me see that or God's perfect timing (or both), all I know is that my perspective totally changed. Lucky for me it was before the time of the county teaching job fair. Well, kind of. See, my perspective was that I would live in DeLand but work in the county over. However, I missed that county's job fair. I was upset with myself and tried to reach out the only way I knew how to that county - through a professor of mine that used to work there. Nothing was happening. It was like I had finally found a door that was open and walked through it only to see all the other doors in front of me were locked. Not sure what to do next, I did the only thing I could think of, attend my county's job fair. I was a little late for signing up for this job fair because I guess I didn't read all the fine print or something. Regardless, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to attend. I sent the lady in charge like five emails on Friday and worried until I got a response on Monday. I was in. While this satisfied my worrying, it started up new worry - what would the job fair be like? Would I get hired? What.... (and so on and so forth.) To top it off, the week before had been the most horrendous of horrendous weeks for various reasons. The week of the job fair had started off not as horrendous and gradually continued to get better. One good thing happened after another. I was just in awe of what God was doing. I remember saying sometime before Friday (the job fair), "if I get a job at the job fair on Friday, that'll just be icing on the cake." Thus, the job fair was upon me. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I had no idea what to expect, and I was trying to prepare myself for what I would say. Long story short (because I want to get to the good stuff - I know, there's even better good stuff!) The last school that I spoke to was Heritage Middle School. They weren't on my sheet of scheduled interviews. I happened to walk up to the Principal right after he had finished a conversation with someone else, introduced myself, handed him my resume, and before I knew it, I was sitting down and having an interview that would soon land me my first teaching job. I was ecstatic and in shock at the same time, and totally cried while thanking God on the way home - after calling my parents and best friend of course. Fast forward to my move to Florida. My mom came with me to help me move in to the apartment I was sharing with a couple who's wedding I was in over the summer (actually, the friend who's mom I was going to live with in Georgia!), and we were able to go see my classroom before she left. Every person we talked to that day at Heritage and people I talked to the next were so positive, helpful, and uplifting. They all said a form of, "you're going to love it here" and "the administration here is great to work for/with." My mom was so impressed with what they were saying, and I couldn't get over that they didn't put me in a pod/mod (classroom not attached to the school, own little shed-like building). The more that I return to Heritage, the more that I am grateful that God placed me there. The people I have met and will still meet are amazing. To top it all off, at CHAMPS training I had in Daytona on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, I "happened" to pick a seat right next to a young teacher who is working at Heritage, and it's her first year teaching also. We immediately clicked and became friends. I met the Vice Principal for the 8th grade building that I will be working with/for, and he got all excited when I told him that I'm a Stetson grad and that I actually went to school to be a teacher and have a degree in education. During the same conversation, another Vice Principal/Intern Principal was there that I had met at the job fair way back in April, and he remembered me. If these aren't God's fingerprints all over all of these situations, conversations, and experiences, then I don't know what they are. I am so excited to work at a Middle School as my first teaching job and the best part is - I get to teach Creative Writing to 6th, 7th and 8th graders. I was in middle school when I fell in love with creative writing, so I'm excited to share my passion with these young guns. Don't be afraid of God's fingerprints. While they may be what you see after the fact, remember that God is the one planning your life out. That may be terrifying or comforting depending on who you are (or even what mood/stage of life you're in), but once you notice God's fingerprints, it's the most beautiful feeling to see what God is doing in your life. For This time, Cambria
1 Comment
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8/6/2017 10:07:01 am
Wonderful. So happy for you
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AuthorI'm a die-hard Sixers and Eagles phan, a writer, a teacher, and a dreamer. Archives
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