Sharing the Journey of Those Who Switched Careers
Regent University’s School of Education (SOE) has been offering Virginia’s “Career Switchers” program since 2004. Regent’s unique program allows students to earn graduate credit hours, and graduates can walk away with a Master of Education (M. Ed.) after taking just four additional classes.
Stories of the program’s success, transformation and fulfillment continue to capture the interest of those considering the calling to become an educator. Dr. Mervyn Wighting is sharing a dozen of them in his new book, We Switched Careers.
“I enjoyed writing the book, because it was like reliving the stories of the people I’ve known over 10 years,” said Wighting. “The purpose of my book is to encourage others who may want to become a teacher. If they read it, they can identify with the characters, knowing that if he or she could do it, they can too.”
The Regent graduates featured in the book come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including military service, music, engineering, entrepreneurship and ministry. The program has been offered online since 2010, and enables many people to transition their careers without an interruption.
“It is unique because graduates bring to classrooms a subject knowledge,” said Wighting. “They bring experiences they had in life, and therefore make teaching more meaningful and relevant to children rather than the subject manner being in abstract.”
Career Switcher is part of Virginia’s Department of Education and equips graduates to teach in Virginia. Regent’s is the only implementation of the program in Virginia to offer graduate hours. Ninety-two percent of those who complete the program go on to earn a M. Ed. It’s available to anyone with a Bachelor of Arts and five years of work experience. Regent’s SOE designed its program to prepare graduates for the classroom by training them how to teach in a modern classroom environment.
Wighting’s hopes his book will inspire more professionals to pursue a calling to teach. Each story is written by a unique program graduate.
