“I grew up in the Cairo area. I actually attended school in this building from kindergarten all the way up until twelfth grade. I was very involved in sports and all kinds of clubs and I had so many wonderful teachers that it just always felt right to me, they inspired me to want to be a teacher. Plus, I enjoy helping others and I enjoy children so it just felt natural for me to jump into teaching,” Erica explained.

So when it came time to leave the safe confines of the only school she’d ever know, Moberly Area Community College was an easy choice.

“I chose MACC as my first college mainly because of the A+ Program. I knew that I wanted to save as much money as possible going to school and MACC provided a way for me to do that. It was also close to home and had a good reputation, so it was the place for me,” explained Erica.

Since Erica already knew she was passionate about teaching, she immediately joined the Associate of Arts in Teaching degree program. The AAT program aligns curriculum with all Missouri colleges and allows students to enter a four-year college or university education department as a junior.

“Transferring from MACC to Central Methodist was easier than I expected. I was able to get in touch with an advisor from CMU and tell her what classes I was taking at MACC and through communicating back and forth we were able to get my schedules aligned and the transfer was just seamless.”

MACC gave Erica the start she needed to become a teacher. The first classes she took related to her field were at MACC. They prepared her for her four-year college and ultimately for teaching.

“Whether you choose a two or four-year college, you can get a quality education at both. The key is just being willing to put in the time and effort it takes to be successful. College is about focusing on what you want to do when you get out into the real world. So you need to make the best of that opportunity.”