Reaping the Rewards
I have often discussed why I switched careers and went into education. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of students by sharing what I have learned over my 20 years in health information. Today, I learned how I impacted the life of a student in a positive way. On the way home from church, I decided to stop at a different grocery store to pick up a few things for Sunday dinner. As the kids and I walked to the parking lot to the car, I heard a voice say
"Hi Mrs. Harris." I wondered who in the world could be calling me Mrs. Harris. I turned around and it was one of my students from my first class that I taught at the community college. I was
surprised to see her. I went over and gave her a hug and asked how she was doing. She informed me that she was working in the field and passed the national exam. She has also gotten married and introduced me to her new husband. I congratulated her on her accomplishments.
She informed me that she has stayed in touch with a couple of the students and they are working and also passed the national exam. I told her that I was glad that she was doing so well. She asked me if I was still teaching and I told her that I was invited back for the 2009 fall semester. This student was one of the brightest students in the class and I knew she would be successful. When you are teaching you never know if you are getting through to students. Sometimes you doubt if what you do can make a real difference in someone's life. Well, I can say for sure that in some small way I made a difference in the life of a young person. This encounter will remind me that teaching does have its rewards.