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Candice Herken '19 began her college career at California State University in San Bernadino while her husband was stationed at a nearby U.S. Army base. Before she was able to complete her studies in elementary education, her husband received word that he was going to be transferred.

Herken wanted to graduate before they moved, so she switched her major to liberal studies because she could complete that program more quickly. She hoped to eventually go back to school to earn her teaching degree.

Over the next 17 years, Herken and her family would move 10 times, living in Virginia, Washington, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas, New Jersey and elsewhere. As an Army wife and mother of two children, Herken decided to put her teaching career on hold to raise her family.

“My kids have been through a lot of deployments, and I felt it was best for me to be a source of stability in their lives,” she says, “so I stayed home to be with them, knowing that when they got older I would find a teaching program that would help me accomplish my goals.”

In the interim, she worked as a substitute teacher and also taught pre-school, which doesn’t require full teaching certification. “I always wanted to work with kids,” Herken says. “I love being in a classroom setting and helping children grasp concepts that they might initially find challenging.”

Several years ago, Herken decided the time was right to earn her degree. At the time, her husband was stationed at Fort Dix in New Jersey and she was working in the North Hanover school district. She was initially focused on online options, but several of her colleagues who were alumni of ������ý����’s teacher education program suggested she look into their alma mater.

“I checked it out, and it was exactly what I was looking for,” she says, “so I jumped right in and took off running with it.” In January 2018, Herken enrolled in ������ý����’s Master of Arts in Teaching program, which is designed for career changers looking to earn advanced credentials to become teachers.

During her time at ������ý����, one of the things she found most memorable was the interactions she had with her classmates.

“There was a wide range of ages — from some who had just finished their undergraduate studies to others who had a little more life experience behind them, and even several people who had retired from other jobs and were now going into teaching,” she says. “It was nice to get different viewpoints that maybe you wouldn’t get as an undergrad when everyone in the class is about the same age and experience level.”

She says she also felt a strong connection to the faculty. “From the very beginning, you felt like the professors really cared and were truly invested in your journey," she says. "That was definitely a positive experience. From the very first class to the very end, you felt like people wanted you to do well and were in your corner cheering you on as you went through the program.”

Herken says what she found most beneficial was the real-world experience she gained from being in the field. “As student teachers, we did so much more than just observe," she says. "We were required to sit down with the teachers and have questions prepared, and do a really deep dive into the issues we were discussing.”

Candice earned her Master of Arts in Teaching in May, and her time at ������ý���� has helped propel her into the career she has aspired to since she was a teenager. Knowing that her husband would soon be transferred to an Army base in his home state of Kansas, and that the family will settle there after he retires from the Army, she did a Skype interview for a third-grade teaching position with a school in Kansas and was offered the job.

“It’s going to be different than anything I’ve ever experienced," she says, "but I feel that I’m prepared to embrace any challenges that come my way.”