Against All Odds: Woman Becomes Teacher at School She Worked as Cleaner
Wanda Smith, a woman, has realized her lifelong aspiration of becoming a teacher. She achieved her teaching certification at the same institution where she previously served as a cleaner. Wanda always harbored a dream to teach, but after high school, she had to postpone this dream to care for her ailing mother and support her family.
c.Blessing 
Wanda Smith, a woman, has realized her lifelong aspiration of becoming a teacher. She achieved her teaching certification at the same institution where she previously served as a cleaner.
Wanda always harbored a dream to teach, but after high school, she had to postpone this dream to care for her ailing mother and support her family. She started her professional journey with the Brenham Independent School District, serving as a bus monitor from 6 a.m. and then as a cleaner from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Despite her hectic schedule, she never lost sight of her goal to return to education.
She shared, “My plans were to go straight into college, but then my mother got sick and so those dreams had to be deferred and I just got a job and started providing for the family.” She added, “And sometimes I didn’t get to sleep because if mom needed to go to the doctor, I’d just get off and do what I had to do. And I never really thought about it. I just did it because it had to be done.”
RECOMMENDED: 53-year old Woman Graduates South African University, Bags Degree 35 Years Later
Encouraged by her husband and family, Wanda made the decision to return to school. She enrolled at Blinn College, Brenham, to pursue her associate’s degree and graduated at the age of 37. A year after earning her associate degree, she chose to continue her education at Sam House Houston State University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Teaching.
Wanda’s academic journey, which spanned nine years, was marked by perseverance. She attended night classes, missed moments with her three children, and nearly dropped out of school multiple times due to the heartbreaking loss of her mother and sisters. However, she persevered and became a certified teacher.
SEE ALSO: 87- Year Old Woman Receives High School Diploma 67 Years After Leaving School
Discussing her challenges, Wanda revealed that the death of her mother and two sisters almost led her to quit school. “My sister would be the one I would talk to at night when I was coming home. Then when I lost her, that took a lot out of me. It took a lot out. And yes, I did want to stop,” Wanda confessed.
“But then my husband, he sat me down, and he let me know that I wasn’t the only one that made sacrifices. And so I was like, ‘Ok, I can do this. I can keep going,” she added.
READ MORE: African-American woman Breaks Record at Georgia University, Emerges First Black Woman To Earn PhD in Astrophysics
After earning her teaching certificate, Wanda returned to Brenham Elementary School, this time as a first-grade teacher, at the same school where she had once worked as a custodian.
The president of Sam Houston State University surprised Wanda with a $500 scholarship in her name. The Wanda Smith Make a Difference Scholarship will be awarded to a first-generation Sam Houston State student who aspires to a career in teaching.
Wanda expressed her hope that her journey would inspire her students to cultivate a passion for education, just as she did, and to pursue it to the fullest extent.
