Rachael Black
Aledo Independent School District
Weatherford, TX USA
"Sometimes it’s important to put yourself first. Find a passion and joy for yourself in your own life."
Career Roadmap
Rachael's work combines: Education, Science, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Western Governors University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Biology Teacher:
Bachelor's Degree: Biology/Biological Sciences, General
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Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
My home life was stressful growing up because both of my parents struggled with drug addiction and I was the oldest of six kids—school was my outlet to get away from the stress at home.
2.
Neither of my parents graduated high school, so graduating from both high school and college were very important milestones I wanted to achieve for myself.
3.
After struggling with community college, I joined the military in an attempt to gain financial aid for school—but I was discharged after a year when I broke my legs.
4.
I started working in education as a special education aide, as well as an aide for students with emotional disturbance.
5.
I wanted to set an example for my children, fulfill my dreams of becoming a teacher, and keep helping students, so I decided to go to college for my bachelor’s degree.
6.
After hearing about Western Governors University through advertisements, I decided to give their program a try—it worked well for me because it was adaptable to my experience and other obligations.
7.
I graduated from WGU with my bachelor’s degree in biology.
8.
I currently work as a ninth-grade biology and pre-AP biology teacher and am working toward my master’s degree from WGU!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Taking care of others is a higher priority than your own needs.
How I responded:
I'd always put others first throughout my life. While selflessness is a great quality to have, I've realized that it's also important to put yourself first in a lot of ways. Finding a career that you're passionate about and putting in the effort to work towards that joy for yourself is important.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Home was very stressful growing up because my parents struggled with addiction and I was the oldest of 6 kids. We were in and out of women's and children's shelters often. As an outlet from the stress, I threw myself into school work and activities.
I had tried online college programs but it was difficult for me to complete my courses because of my other obligations. When I tried WGU's program, they worked with me and even provided me with a mentor to support me through school and life stress.
Balancing school, work, and family got difficult at times. I'd stay up very late doing my classwork after getting home from work and putting my kids to bed. I'd just remind myself of my goals to keep pushing through. My mentor helped a lot as well.