Career Roadmap
Sue's work combines: Education, Design, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Penn Hills High School (PA)
Bachelor's Degree
Civil Engineering, General
United States Coast Guard Academy
Graduate Degree
Civil Engineering, General
University of Maryland
Graduate Degree
Education, General
Capella University
Doctorate
Educational/Instructional Technology
Capella University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Instructional Coordinators:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: Civil Engineering, General
Graduate Degree: Civil Engineering, General
Graduate Degree: Education, General
Doctorate: Educational/Instructional Technology
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I went to college, the first in my family to do so. A military academy choice made it free!
2.
I served in the US Coast Guard on active duty for many years.
3.
I continued my education, taking advantage of every opportunity the military provided.
4.
I realized my passion was really in education and leaving the USCG was the way to pursue this.
5.
I took a deep breath and gave up the great pay and benefits of the military to teach part time.
6.
I earned my doctorate and found my way into the educational leadership role.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
You'd be crazy to give up a great paycheck to start over in a new field. You're already successful there... be happy with it! There will be time later for that!
How I responded:
First, I needed to be sure that the education world was the place for me. Teaching some classes let me know it really was what I wanted to do. Then, I had to make a plan before I could make a leap. For me, that started with creating a financial plan and safety net to get me through the first few years at the much lower pay.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Getting a degree while serving can be difficult. You don't have as many financial worries because of the military education benefits, but I moved three times during my studies! Online learning was the solution, and now that's what I do!