What happens when you grow up surrounded by teachers who encourage you to choose a different career, but your passion keeps leading you back to the classroom?

In this episode of NACCTEP Now, Julie Ferin welcomes Tara Gress, an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher and Early Childhood Education Teacher who began her educational journey at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado.

Tara shares her unexpected journey into teaching, from growing up in a family of educators to working in a correctional facility before finding her way back to early childhood education. As a working mother, Tara balanced a full-time job, college coursework, and raising her daughter, Stevie, while pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher.

Through Northeastern Junior College and the T-PREP teacher preparation pathway, Tara found opportunities and support to continue her education and enter the teaching profession.

Along the way, educators and mentors, including Dr. Valerie Sherman and Donna Brady Lawler, provided encouragement and guidance that helped Tara recognize what was possible.

Today, Tara serves as an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher and Early Childhood Education Teacher, making a difference in the lives of young learners.

Her story highlights the importance of accessible teacher preparation pathways, supportive mentors, and the determination of future educators.

Listen to Tara's story of perseverance, family, and finding her place in education.

Learn more at www.nacctep.org.

What happens when you're 22 years old, still finishing college, and suddenly responsible for a classroom of 130 high school freshmen?

Meet Ethan Glenn!

In this episode of NACCTEP Now: Teacher Candidate Voices from the Field, host Julie Ferin sits down with Ethan, a teacher candidate from Northeastern Junior College in Colorado, whose journey to becoming a teacher took a few unexpected turns.

From growing up in a small rural community to exploring meteorology, working in banking, and eventually finding his way back to teaching through the T-PREP pathway, Ethan's story is one of determination, growth, and finding what truly matters.

Ethan opens up about the realities of his first year in the classroom, the challenges of classroom management, the importance of having a great mentor, and those unforgettable moments when students finally understand something you've taught them.

And through it all, he's learning one of the most important lessons of teaching: "I feel to be a good teacher, you always have to have a heart."

Join us for an honest, inspiring, and sometimes funny conversation with a young educator who is finding his way, learning from every experience, and already making a difference in the lives of his students.

What inspires someone to become a teacher? And what happens when those dreams meet the realities of a classroom?

In our very first episode of Teacher Candidate Voices from the Field, a special series of NACCTEP NOW, host Julie Ferin welcomes two inspiring teacher education graduates from Kingsborough Community College, part of the City University of New York, along with their former professor and mentor, Dr. Denise Farrelly.

Jammie Faulkner shares how raising her son with autism inspired her journey into teaching and deepened her passion for supporting children and families. Andrea Ansah reflects on the experiences that led her to early childhood education and the classroom moments that continue to shape the teacher she hopes to become.

Together, they share honest stories about lesson plans that didn't go as expected, overcoming self-doubt, learning through field experiences, and the professors and peers who helped them grow.

And through it all, one message comes through loud and clear. Great teachers aren't born knowing everything. They grow through experience, reflection, and the people who believe in them.

Join us as we celebrate the voices, experiences, and future of the teaching profession.

Community College Voices. National Impact.