Illinois Alternative Certification Programs

I am currently a mid-level manager for a well-known multi media company. My life with this company, and the business world, began twenty-two years ago. Although I would consider myself very successful in the corporate world, I feel like there is still a void in my life that needs to be filled.

My family and friends encouraged me to pursue a career in education. Although I liked the idea of being a teacher, I did not want to complete another bachelor's degree. As an adult, I did not have the time (four years) to go back to school full-time to complete such an endeavor. I continued to think about the possibility of becoming a teacher. I soon realized how much more rewarding it would be to encourage, advise and guide students into becoming socially economically responsible adults than it would be to work just to make money. I was at a point in my life, where I felt that teaching was my calling.

During the years, I have also owned and operated two successful businesses. I feel my education did not properly prepare me for many of the challenges I faced when I opened my first business. I would like to share my business knowledge, skills and abilities with children, while becoming a positive role model and inspiration for them. I would like to pass on the practical knowledge I gained from starting a business, building a customer base, and finally selling it and starting another business in a totally different field. Individuals who have the skills and confidence to be able to work for themselves and not depend on others can only strengthen our economy. This type of knowledge can also help anyone in the position of an employee, translating into the ability to make good business decisions on a day-to-day basis for the benefit of his or her employer.

For the students who may not have the opportunity to go to college immediately after high school, I can show them that there are unlimited opportunities for young people. Those individuals who succeeded built our country by the virtues of hard work and common sense.

I want to take this opportunity to put my education and experience to use, to do a job I will look forward to every day, something that could really make a difference in people’s lives.

I feel strongly that I will be a role model and an inspiration for my students. I can and will make a difference!

With determination, I set out to find a way to teach. I was unaware of any alternative teacher certification programs, until a friend of mine who lives in Houston, Texas told me about a program she had completed in her state. She explained to me that due to the expected future teacher shortages, many states had adopted programs that were designed for adult students who have completed a bachelor's degree in a field other than education and have five years documented work related experience in their chosen field. She urged me to search for a program in Illinois. I contacted my local Regional Office of Education and obtained the information I needed. The program in Illinois was instituted by legislation passed by the Illinois General Assembly. However, only a few Universities offered this relatively new program.

After many hours of research and investigation, I decided to apply to a school that offered certification in my field. The application process was intense. I had to write a personal essay, pass three exams, provide three letters of professional recommendations, as well as academic transcripts and a personal interview.

I am currently enrolled in a program to be certified to teach business education at the secondary level. I will also be endorsed to teach information processing, keyboarding, computer applications and business computer programming.