KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Chelsey James' dream is to become a teacher. And when she was working as an assistant at Lincoln Memorial, she talked about the Grow Your Own grant program.
James has a daughter, Audrey, and she loves to play with her mom when she takes a break away from her books. When raising kids, it can be a challenge, which is why James knew she had to take the opportunity in joining the program.
"Well, obviously, this one, plus my other daughter," James said. "That's been a very big obstacle, just working out the time management"
Lacey Compton said she's been dreaming of becoming a teacher since she was a little girl. She's been a special education teaching assistant for 14 years at a high school in Knox County.
When she received an email from the district saying she qualified for this program, she said she immediately called Lincoln Memorial.
The good part was that her schedule coincided with her children's schedules, so time was on her side.
"The personal obstacle was the finance," Compton said. "I didn't have the money, I was a single mom... had two children."
DeAnna Veal, another Grow Your Own candidate, said she always wanted to teach. For Veal, it was a combination of challenges but she still knew she had to go for it.
She said she had to organize everything through her calendar, especially since her last assignments at LMU were more intense in order to graduate.
"Personal challenge was working full time and I have a family, a husband and two kids," Veal said.
For the last few years, all three ladies have been defying the odds. They joined a program at LMU to pursue their dreams of teaching.
The Director of the Masters in Education in Initial Teacher Licensure at LMU Susan Wagner said they now added an additional program that was announced last summer.
The Teacher Apprenticeship program not only creates more opportunities but also battles teacher shortages in a different way.
"So you're paid," Wagner said. "So unlike quitting your career to go to graduate school, you're paid... you're working adult during the day working for our district partners. We have our classes in the evenings and on Saturdays."
The amount of money you receive in the program depends on the district, according to Wagner.
She said it's a hybrid face-to-face class with online components every other week. So, students go on campus from a cohort and they work together.
Wagner said students are also placed in District Partnership Schools, where they have a mentor who oversees them. They also get field supervisors which provides an extra layer of mentoring and coaching throughout the program.
"The Grow Your Own program was a state grant that provided tuition costs for students," Wagner said. "Not only is it tuition, but it's also free textbooks and other costs that can be associated with getting this degree."
Right now, LMU is accepting new students for both the summer and fall semesters, however, space is limited.
James, Veal and Compton are about to graduate. Each lives in a different area and is looking to start working as a teacher to provide the skills acquired by LMU's program. James is in Sevierville, Veal in Blount County and Compton in Knox County.
"I feel like now I'm a highly qualified teacher, not just a good teacher," Compton said.
The dream now follows the hope. As for Aubrey's dream, "I study my pictures of my mommy."