I wanted to share how my Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree (Board of Governors) from Pierpont Community and Technical College is paving the way for my future career as a teacher.

Hopefully, this will inspire someone to keep moving forward in their education.

Armed with this degree on my resume, I landed a building technician role at a middle school despite having no prior experience in a role like this and being 54 years old.

I believe my degree played a role, demonstrating that my age was not a barrier to my capability and commitment.

My new job, while not directly related to teaching (in fact, it's really just a glorified name for janitor), gave me awesome insights into the workings of a school environment from an operational perspective.

It also provided a unique way to observe classroom dynamics, understand student needs, and appreciate the important role that teachers have in shaping young minds.

My associate's degree, alongside my experience working in the school, is steering me towards my next objective: becoming a teacher's assistant at the middle school.

That position will allow me to have direct experience in the classroom and classroom management.

I will need a bachelor's degree to become a full-fledged teacher, though. So, I have a plan for that too.

Thanks to tuition reimbursement from my job at the school, I'm working on getting my bachelor's degree at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

At the same time, I'm also enrolled at BYU-Idaho (through their Pathway program). Dual-enrollment, baby! lol

The associate degree from Pierpont Community and Technical College was not just an academic achievement; it was the key that unlocked the door to the educational field.

This freaking degree has literally changed my life!

It set me apart in the job market, provided me with an entry point into the school system with good benefits, and laid the groundwork for my future academic and career pursuits.

So yeah, even though Reddit (and society in the real world) sorta downplays associate's degrees, I'm proud of mine. And I'm using it hard. My goal of becoming a 6th-grade math teacher is now more within reach than ever.

EDIT: I've taken another step toward my career goals! Thanks to my strong work ethic as a school custodian, and my Associate's Degree from Pierpont, I'm now working as a Special Education Paraeducator at an elementary school!

I got banned from Reddit (for talking about how I am voting Green Party), so I am bringing all the files from that account to here. The reddit account is https://www.reddit.com/r/pierpontctc

I recently completed my Associate's Degree at Pierpont Community and Technical College, and I was super impressed with the faculty. The school has a great atmosphere and a commendable mission.

Finally, I can proudly call myself a "college graduate," all thanks to this school! It holds regional accreditation, and I was able to balance my schedule by using combo of on-campus and online courses.

I'm incredibly proud of the place, but I'm disappointed that there's not much info on reddit or Lemmy about this school, considering how amazing this small school in West Virginia is. So that's why I created this community. The other sub seems dead.

While being a college graduate may not be a big deal for most people on Reddit, it's a huge achievement for me. I owe it all to this school.

I only have an Associate's Degree for now, but I'm also working towards my Bachelor's Degree at two different institutions: I'm currently dual-enrolled at University of Maine at Presque Isle and BYU-Idaho (Pathway).

But this Associate's degree was my first step. Definitely hanging the degree up on my wall!