Hi! As a newbie at ICAN, I
thought I would tell you a little bit about myself and how I got to this place
in my life. I grew up in a small town in SE Iowa and graduated from a small
high school and a small private college in SE Iowa. As far back as I can remember,
I wanted to be a teacher. The type of teacher changed over the years:
elementary, band, vocal, special education, but I truly can’t remember a time
in my life when I didn’t want to be a teacher. I loved school (I know – most
people don’t like to admit that), and I wanted to help students love school as
well, or at least be successful! Deep down, I wanted a career where I felt I
could make a difference!
I decided on music
education (vocal) early in my college career, and I spent 16 years teaching vocal
music in western Iowa. The rewards were enormous! Even though some of the days
were trying and some of the weeks were long, the final performances, whether
they were concerts, contests, musicals, swing choir events, or any other of the
numerous musical activities we did, were exciting and fun! Even when things
didn’t go exactly as planned, the hard work and dedication always paid off, and
the progress and excitement I saw in my students made every minute of
preparation worth it!
Later in my career, I
decided to work on a Master’s Degree in School Counseling. Interestingly, my
cohort group working on this degree (from Wayne State College in Wayne, NE) was
the first group at Wayne State to earn a degree completely through distance
learning. Internet was new to the small schools in western Iowa at that time,
so we had a lot to learn about using the Internet for research and using
technology in many ways while taking our classes entirely off campus. In fact,
although it is difficult to believe now, Wayne State felt very uneasy about
giving an entire degree to students who had never stepped foot on campus (think
about all of the online degrees awarded these days – but this was 1998). So,
one Saturday we all had to spend the day on the Wayne State campus so they
could say that we had at least seen and been on campus!
I decided to take a job as
a high school counselor after finishing my master’s degree. It was a tough
decision, because I loved teaching vocal music, but I thought it was time for a
change. I also felt that I might be more successful in really making a
difference in students’ lives as a school counselor. I was a school counselor
for 18 years. I enjoyed helping students apply for scholarships, explore
colleges and careers, choose appropriate classes, and work through social,
academic, and personal issues, and I also really enjoyed knowing what was going
on in the entire school environment, rather than just what was happening in my
end of the building. Did I make more of a difference as a school counselor? I
don’t know that I did. I think both careers were equally worthy and valid in
trying to make a difference. Both careers involved helping students see their
talents and abilities and encouraging them to strive to do their best. I did
feel that I got to know individual students better as a music teacher, but I
still developed some good relationships with students as a school counselor as
well.
I retired from education
in mid-June, and I came to ICAN to be a student success advisor in Eastern
Iowa. There are new things to learn, but my experience in the field of
education, especially in my school counseling career, have helped me a great
deal in this new position already. I’m still helping students and families, and
that is something I really love!
My point in all this? Good
question! My point is to let you know a little bit about me and to drive home
the fact that I believe you can make a difference in the lives of others no
matter what your career, if that is something that is important to you. Find something
to do for which you have a passion, then work hard and be as dedicated as you
can be, still giving yourself time for a personal life. You can’t go wrong with
doing something which you believe to be important and dedicating your life to
making a difference for others. Best wishes!
Mary Joan - ICAN Hiawatha Center
