For senior Fern Comentale, education has always been something she was interested in from a young age. Growing up in a family where academics mattered most, Comentale said she dedicated her time focusing on school. 

However, it was not until her freshman year, Comentale said, that she realized she wanted to become a teacher. 

“Being so involved in your own education kind of makes you want to help educate others too,” Comentale said. “I think my high school teachers really started it for me; They have left strong impacts on me and have changed my life for the better. Ever since freshman year, I have always wondered if I could impact the lives of others in the same way.” 

Comentale is not alone in her desire to pursue a career in education. Junior Cardea Hoang became interested in teaching after working at Kumon one summer. Hoang said tutoring kids at her job helped her realize how rewarding it is to be able to teach others. 

“One day, I decided that I needed a job to make some money, and one of my friends suggested that I work at Kumon because I was good at math,” Hoang said. “At first, it was just another job to me, but then I started really enjoying tutoring the kids. (The kids) would be so happy when they would start to understand a topic and it made me happy too.”

For early education teacher Faith Dalton, she said she has had a passion for teaching ever since the third grade. She said teaching is an enriching experience and advises others to follow their dreams of becoming a teacher.

“(Teaching) is a highly rewarding profession,” Dalton said. “If it is truly something you want to do, give it your all. It is not easy, but it is very rewarding.”

For her part, Comentale said she finds teaching to be a highly versatile career. 

“Being a teacher just means you teach someone something,” Comentale said. “You can teach someone many things. When you are a teacher or professor, you can be any kind of teacher or professor. You can teach art, you can teach economics, you can teach history. Everyone has something that they can teach and I think that’s what makes this career so special to me.” 

Although teaching can be a rewarding experience, Dalton said, there are still many misconceptions and challenges that discourage people from becoming a teacher. 

“It is not going to be all sunshine and rainbows,” Dalton said. “It is a struggle keeping up with current policies and updates to those policies. Going into education also gets a bad reputation because of how little teachers get paid. A lot of people say, ‘you’re not going to get money,’ and how you’re not going to be supported, and there is some truth to that.” 

Hoang said she agreed with Dalton, however, she added that teaching is an experience worth committing to regardless of pay.

“A lot of people think that you’re going to be poor if you become a teacher,” Hoang said. “Yes, a teacher doesn’t get paid as much as a doctor or a lawyer. But, being a teacher is still a good source of income even if it isn’t a large amount of money. Plus, money isn’t everything. You also make special and priceless connections along the way.” 

Comentale said she believes becoming a teacher is the right choice for her, regardless of the cons the job may have. 

“I know that many people don’t become teachers because of the low pay, or they just think it’s not a good career, but, personally, I feel as if teaching is worth it no matter if I get paid a penny or $1 million,” Comentale said. “I just want to help others learn and become educated so they can be successful in life and be the best versions of themselves.”