For as long as she can remember, Catherine has dreamed of becoming a teacher.  Some of her own teachers from early childhood had a big impact on her as she was growing up, and she has always longed for the chance to someday help other children in the same way.

For many people, the path to becoming a teacher is straightforward: earn a college degree, find a teaching job, and presto — you’ve made it!  But Catherine’s is a story of perseverance.  What makes Catherine’s story different from many other teachers is that she was born with a disability.

perseverance

per·se·ver·ance

persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success

Catherine grew up in a loving family in Southern California, and participated in her school’s special education program.  She was one of three children in her family.  She was very capable of learning, but just needed a little extra time and effort due to her disability.  She needed a little extra support to reach her goals.  Luckily for her, she learned early on about the value of perseverance.

After graduating from high school, Catherine began exploring various jobs that were available to her.  She wanted to work with children, but had trouble finding someone who would give her a chance.  But Catherine didn’t give up.  She worked as a courtesy clerk in a grocery store, and sorted and priced clothing for a local thrift store, among other things.  Catherine tried many jobs, but never lost sight of her dream of teaching.  

While working as a receptionist as part of a vocational training program at Quality Connections, Catherine earned her Early Childhood Education certificate from Coconino Community College.  When she completed the program, she applied for preschool teaching positions in the community and found work as an aide at a local preschool!  Catherine’s job was to provide breaks to relieve the other teachers, light cleaning, and helping out in the nap room.  She was grateful for the opportunity to prove herself, but still yearned to be more involved in the children’s learning – to be a “real” teacher.

To become a “real” teacher, Catherine realized she had more work to do, and she didn’t quit.  She continued working at the preschool while pressing forward with her education.  She enrolled in Rio Salado Community College, where she is planning to graduate with an Associates Degree in Child Development in December 2022.  

“Having a disability has not stopped me from going to college”, Catherine said.  “College is really hard, but I’m not going to give up just because it’s hard.  I can’t let my disability get in the way.  That’s how I look at it.  My family sees it that way too.”

And she doesn’t plan to stop there.  Next, she’ll be pursuing a BS in Early Childhood Education from Grand Canyon University, with plans to graduate in 2025 or 2026.  She has accepted a position as a co-teacher at Evergreen Academy Preschool, where she will share equal duties with her co-teacher, creating lesson plans, leading her students in educational activities and much more.

“She deserves this chance and I know she will do an amazing job,” said Kelly Arnold, Evergreen Academy Preschool’s Director.  “We will be there to guide her along the way and she has our full support. With Catherine’s experience and education, we believe she will make an amazing co-teacher, and that is what we started this program for.  We see the potential and fuel it!”

Evergreen Academy Preschool is a new licensed preschool operated by the nonprofit Quality Connections.  The program is meeting a critical need in our community for high quality affordable childcare, and serving as a training center for workers with disabilities who wish to work in the childcare industry.  Because of her unrelenting perseverance, Catherine will not only be co-teaching, she will also be mentoring others who want to follow in her footsteps in creating a career they can really be proud of.