Her Story
About Mindy
I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be an educator. I went to overnight camp where they paired you up with students with disabilities, and the student I was paired up with was deaf and blind. I found it fascinating, learned sign language, and just knew that I wanted to work with individuals with special needs. I also had some really phenomenal teachers that I stay in touch with to this day, and they just impacted me. After my undergrad, I went straight into my master's program, and they asked me to be a grad assistant. From that, they asked me if I wanted to teach a course, and it just never left. I continued on and did a master's in special ed, and then I also did a master's in school leadership and administration. I did eventually think that I would go back into the public sector, but I really love what I do. I love the diversity and I really love working with future educators. I started a tutoring business when I was pregnant with my first child, and that really kept me in the door with working with Pre-K through 12th graders. I've kept that up for the past 24 years and have done advocacy for families with special needs.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mindy
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think, for me, it's just staying positive, being true to who you are, understanding that we're there for the students. There's a lot of other influences that come into the educational field, and I see a lot of changes that are happening. I just keep telling my students that the most important thing that you always have to remember is your purpose, and what you're there for, and the joy of teaching and the love of your students. As long as you can hold on to that, that is what's going to get you through all the years, because it's the most challenging field, but it is also one of the most rewarding. When you see a student who couldn't do something a certain way, and you use a specific strategy, and they thrive because you taught them a new way of learning, there's no greater gift. You just see the impact that you have, and it's a beautiful thing. You just have to recognize that you do amazing work. You make an impact every day in the lives of those with special needs. And that's what you're there for.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think education itself is underfunded. I'm in a lot of different schools, even at the university level, even in higher ed. Just federal funding cuts and cuts to special education. I just feel like there's so much inequity, and you go into different schools, and the services that they offer, as well as just any of their resources, is really getting more and more scarce. I see that as a challenge, and I feel like the expectations of teachers have changed a lot. The amount of assessments and testing and data collection that is all vital and so important, but I worry that we're getting away from the joy and love of teaching. I look back at my educational experience. My teachers had fun, and they made an impact on me because I was able to learn from teachers who loved what they did. When we're focused on other things, or struggling to get the resources we need for our students, it does take away from it. We have to be fierce advocates in our field.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.