I was asked recently to record a short video for the department at my university that covered the story of why I do what I do today. I felt that telling my story was initially a bit daunting. But I was able to whittle it down to about two and a half minutes for the video, which is probably where they wanted it. As I wrote up my script for the video, I kept thinking the story deserved a bit more explanation. It has as many twists and turns as the Stelvio in Italy. (See the picture) So, here we go. Why am I doing what I do today? To borrow a phrase from the Talking Heads, "How did I get here?"
Academia is a second career for me. I spent the first 17 years of my post-baccalaureate life as a manager of warehouses and logistics operations. I served as a manager of receiving, quality assurance, and systems at various times. And at no time did I really enjoy what I was doing. I left my undergraduate studies completely unfocused and with no real plan for the future. I had degrees in telecommunications and psychology, so I took jobs managing people. I bounced around from job to job trying to find the best fit. But nothing ever seemed comfortable. The pay was fine and I was pretty good at it, so I kept going. I managed groups ranging from about 5 people to over 40. I even managed a major remodeling project for the warehouse. I guess I was developing skills I didn't know I would need in the future. But it was very much less than fulfilling.
Enter the Great Recession of 2008. It was a tough time and because I was a consistent job-hopper, I got the short end of the stick in a corporate downsizing plan. So, there I was. Without a job. Without a job that I didn't really enjoy. So, I decided to figure out what it was I thought I would enjoy. As I looked at what I had been doing, I realized it was the training aspects that made me most happy. I always gravitated toward teaching people how to do things. And around this same time, I noticed that my background in psychology was creeping to the forefront. I was volunteering at my kids' schools and observing behavior more. In particular, I was noticing the kids in special education. Put a pin in that for now.
So, since I had nothing else going on, I obtained my substitute teacher's license and worked for a few local districts. I stayed mainly in elementary schools, but did a few stints in middle school. Those kids are crazy. But I enjoyed my time in the elementary schools. It was my time as a substitute in a special education classroom that was to have the biggest effect on me. This little boy with Down Syndrome took a liking to me. He was the sweetest little kid, mostly. I did see some of his temper at times, and I think that is what developed my interest in special education. I was fortunate to spend 3 or 4 days in this classroom and I soaked it up like a sponge. But being a substitute teacher wasn't consistent enough to pay the bills.
I found a position as an instructional assistant in a school for an adolescent boy with an IEP. I worked as his 1:1 for about a year and a half in a self-contained classroom. Here, I learned that this was going to be my future. The teacher was a veteran of about 40 years and the 3 other IAs in the classroom had been there for years as well. So, I was in the perfect position to learn. And I did. I read everything I could find about how to be a better teacher. At this point, I was planning on going back to school to get either a teaching certificate or a master's degree in psychology. I hadn't decided which. But then, the student moved out of the district and my contract was not renewed. I was again at a crossroads.
In my reading, I had discovered applied behavior analysis. This was to prove pivotal to me. When my contract ended at the school, I took a job with a company that provided residential services to youth with developmental disabilities. I worked on the autism unit with boys ranging from 14 to 21 years of age. I was again paired as a 1:1 with a young man with some severe self-injurious behavior. This was a far cry from the academics I had been teaching in the classroom. But it was intensely interesting for me. Sure, I got bruised and battered, but using the training in ABA I received on the job, we were able to reduce the SIB of this boy to the point where he didn't need the protective equipment he was wearing. I was hooked. Seeing that behavior change was the lightbulb moment for me. I knew I had to make a career of this. And being a 1:1 was not going to be enough.
So, I eventually got a position at an ABA clinic where I could rotate between multiple clients on a daily basis and teach behaviors besides those to keep the clients from injuring themselves. This place also valued continuing education and provided me with supervision as I entered a master's degree program. I was pursuing certification as a board-certified behavior analyst, like the supervisors I was working with at the time. It was an amazing time for me. The supportive nature of this company shaped me in ways I can't express even today. I was able to work with nationally recognized names within the ABA field, learning so much from them. I worked hard and rose through the ranks to become the clinical director of one of their centers. Part of that was due to my previous career managing people and business. But part of it was my work as a behavior analyst.
I was finally in a career that I enjoyed. I was doing things I could not have imagined 15 years prior. But I still wanted something more. It wasn't enough working with the clients. It was, again, the training I enjoyed more than anything. And being a clinical director did not provide that. So, I decided I wanted to teach people to be behavior analysts. I wanted to bring more people to the table. Especially teachers. In my work as a BCBA and clinical director, I noticed that the skills we were using with the clients in the clinic were not known in the classroom. However, research shows the success of them in those situations. So, I wanted to teach teachers how to use behavior analysis in the classroom. And to do that, I needed more education.
Enrolling in a doctoral program was not on my original bingo card. But here I was, accepted to The Ohio State University in their Special Education and ABA doctoral program. I spent 3 years there learning from more giants in the field and shaping my own outlook on education. It was a crazy time. I developed specialized interests and a research agenda. I taught college classes to undergrads and master's students. And then, upon graduation, took a position as a professor, teaching ABA courses in a master's program. I had done it. Reached the top. I was where I was meant to be doing what I felt I was meant to be doing.
I've been here six and a half years now. I've taught my undergraduate special education math course for 4 years. I've taught master's degree courses in ABA for all of that time. I've taught doctoral courses on Universal Design for Learning/Response-to-Intervention and Behaviorology. And each one makes me happy in a different way. All of them feed my passion, which was sorely lacking when I came out of my undergrad program. The moral of this story is simple. It is never too late to find and pursue your passion. It will take time and effort, but the result is spectacular. I'm living proof.
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