"It requires a change of lifestyle," Germaine said. "I used to be able to afford Starbucks (drink) everyday but not now," she adds. Nowadays Germaine lives on a budget lifestyle and have to make a choice between local café and Starbucks but it was not a difficult choice.
Germaine's undergraduate studies prepared her for airline industry. It was not her personal preference though but rather to please her mother and went along with her mother's suggestion when she was thinking about what course to pursue in college. Thus it was not a surprise that some years later she found herself in a conflict of what she wanted to do.
Unable to make up her mind, she gave in to a friend's suggestion and tried teaching. "I remember in high school during a Career Day, the speaker from a renowned university told us that if we ever get the chance to go back to our school and teach, do so. That way you would give back to society a hundred folds of what the school has given you," and so she did. She went back to her alma mater and taught. It felt right but still uncertain if it was what she really wanted. After some time she left the teaching profession and ventured into business world. A higher paycheck gave her some luxuries but for some reason she found herself reeling back.
She started teaching again and more serious about it this time. Germaine even enrolled into a post-graduate program to further her studies. Early Childhood Development appealed to her and so she signed up for it. This was the turning point in her life. Her affection to kids boosted her love for teaching and finally, she hit the nail on the head.
Now as a preschool assistant director, she finds instant gratification in dealing with children because she finds them interesting and honest. "Children don't judge you", she said.
In her early forties Germaine remains single, teaching and still learning. "Never be afraid to learn. Education is a continuous process...the more you learn, the more you know and the more fulfilling you feel," Although a teacher's salary is nominal compared to other equally challenging occupations and in her case, it is hardly enough for a lavish lifestyle, she chose it because she enjoys in what she is doing. "Teaching affects lives," she says, "and it makes a difference in the future of her students.
One of her good friends sees Germaine growing continuously in her pursuit for self-improvement and self-discovery. She was her colleague in the corporate world and she could imagine the difficulty of giving up the comfort she had while in the corporate world in exchange for something less. Nevertheless she knew Germaine has found her purpose of life, which is more than anything in the world.
This story reminds me that it is never too late to go for your dreams. Your destiny is not limited by what you studied in college and neither does your age define your potential. You owe it to yourself to continue writing your own story of life. Never cease to search for the purpose of your life. You might be surprised one day to find out who you would turn out to be.
