Thomas cuts hair and teaches school
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The career change began 12 years ago. The income from her barber shop wasn’t enough for the single mother of two to make ends meet and she was forced to take on a second job. As luck would have it, she chose to substitute teach. After five years, she came to love the classroom.
“Although I just subbed as an extra job to support my family, I really enjoyed it and decided teaching was something I might like to do full-time,” she said.
For a single mom at middle age, a decision of that magnitude, which would require her to pursue a four-year degree, was not easily accomplished, she said.
But with the support and encouragement of her friends and family, she made her way to Motlow and enrolled in a summer English course. She was surprised with how well she did and that gave her the resolve to earn her associate’s degree and transfer to Tennessee Tech.
As college is not cheap, she worked a number of jobs during her college years in addition to cutting hair. She managed to keep it all together though, and graduated in December 2000, five-and-a-half years after she began her college career, with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
Her first teaching job came for a semester in the special education department at the high school. She then was transferred to the middle school where she again served as a special education resource teacher.
Earlier this year she was offered a regular instruction teaching job at Irving College, which she enthusiastically accepted. She is now one of the school’s two sixth-grade teachers.
Thomas said she doesn’t regret in the least all of the hard work and sacrifices she had to make in order to get her degree and teach. “I have a great sense of fulfillment. Children are learning what I’m teaching. I really feel like I’m helping them grow,” she said. “It took me longer than other people (to get a degree) but I didn’t give up.” Her advice to others like her: “Go for it!”
When not at school Thomas still cuts hair part-time at her shop, Kut-N-Styl. Hobbies include reading, cross-stitching, crocheting and seeing movies.
She also enjoys spending time with her two grown children and her two grandchildren, Christian and Devon.