Every teacher remembers the moment they knew they were called to the classroom. More recently, I remember the moment I was called back to the classroom.
I began my career in education in 1987 at an elementary school in Collier County. Over the next three decades, I taught elementary school, high school, adult education and career and technical education. I also served as a teacher on special assignment. Alongside my work in schools, I built a career as a professional artist, publishing children’s book illustrations and selling my work nationwide.
Education was my life for more than 30 years. Then life shifted. After working in a corporate setting for a local fashion company during a restructuring period, I found myself in transition. For about five months, I wasn’t working. I painted. I reflected. I spent time thinking about what mattered most…