Motherhood, the Tenure Track, and Leadership

Transition From K-12 To Higher Education

While teaching elementary school in the Dallas area, I began searching for a university to earn a master’s degree. I sought to find a program that would provide me with the research to practice knowledge that I longed for as an ESL teacher, and I sought a program that was within an hour or so of my home in the Dallas area. I was accepted into various graduate programs, but I chose a program at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas because the program offered to fund the master’s degree through a Title VII grant they held, and this grant provided mentorship opportunities to ESL classroom teachers. As I reached the completion of the program, my advisor and Chair of my treatise paper—Dr. Rudy Rodriguez—encouraged me to apply to PhD programs. I found that I loved the research/writing aspect of the graduate program, so, with his encouragement, I applied to the University of Kansas. I also applied for employment, as I needed the financial resources to attend a doctoral program. I first received an opportunity to teach ESL to international students at the Applied English Center at the University of Kansas, a job that would fund the majority of the tuition cost as well as provide me with a stipend for living expenses. Although the job was considered a Teaching Assistantship, I taught five days per week and did not assist a professor; I was the instructor of record for the college level intensive English classes. For me, the transition from K-12 was an easy transition as I continued to teach the ESL students that I loved teaching. This job provided me with an opportunity to teach international students from all around the world, and offered me the intellectual and professional engagement that I sought.