Long Road to Teaching: Mike’s Story
A Long, Winding Path to the Classroom
Celebrating our Homegrown Heroes, we asked American Board graduate Mike Hemphill, Missouri teacher, to share his experience. Below, he details what led him down the a long road to teaching. Mike also shares his certification experience and information about what he’s doing now.
Growing Up and Starting Over
My teaching journey has been long and diverse. It has given me opportunities I never imagined when I was in school. In high school, academics were not a priority, and college was not on my radar. After graduation, I worked in manufacturing for years but was never satisfied with any position that I held. When I finally decided to go to college, it was not to study education. Still, once I found myself working in a school and entered the education field, I knew that was where I was supposed to be.
I grew up in the eighties and nineties believing college was thought to be for the gifted and/or the elite. My parents had not gone to college, and higher education was not discussed in our home. My plan was simple: graduate high school, find a job, get married, and raise a family.
I worked full-time in factories for 14 years. During this time I married my wife of now 23 years, Joanne. She encouraged me to go to college because I was not satisfied with any of the jobs that I held. At 31, I finally enrolled in college, majoring in speech and language pathology. My path shifted when a work-study placement with the Adult Education and Literacy program introduced me to tutoring students and high-school-equivalency candidates. I knew retired teachers encouraged me to consider education. I also worked as a substitute teacher and found that I enjoyed interacting with students, though I still wasn’t sure teaching was my future.
Discovering the Right Fit
Graduate school in speech pathology ultimately showed me that the field was not the right one. Needing work, I returned to substitute teaching and was offered a full-time paraeducator position soon after. By the end of that year, I knew education was the profession for me.
A teacher told me about American Board’ program in Missouri, and I enrolled in the English Language Arts track. After passing the required exams, I was certified in January 2020. Since then, I have taught middle and high school, earned a master’s degree, and am now pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership.
Finding Purpose in the Classroom
My long road to teaching has been different than the path of other educators. My path is not better or worse than those who went the traditional route, just different. With that said, I appreciate my background because it does help me relate to students who are apathetic towards academics. I can show them where I started, and where I am now. I joke that teaching high school might be penance for my apathy, and if so, I accept my penance because I have found that it is my passion.
–Mike Hemphill, 2019 American Board Graduate, Missouri Educator, EdD Candidate
Following Your Path
It’s never too late to shift gears and become a teacher. No matter your background—manufacturing, service industry, military, or anything in between—there is always room for a new chapter. The classroom needs people with real-world experience, resilience, and commitment to their communities. Stories like Mike’s show that a meaningful teaching career doesn’t require starting on a traditional path. If you feel that pull toward education, don’t wait; your road to teaching doesn’t need to be so long. Your second career could become your lifelong passion. Learn more today at AmericanBoard.org.
