You Must Meet Stacey Chambers!
Once a Child Life Specialist, Stacey Chambers is now a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments. When Stacey’s stage of life changed, she found herself in need of a new career. Check out Stacey’s inspiring story to see how she created a fulfilling career that brings variety, matches her purpose, and allows for much needed family time.
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Current Career: Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments
Prior Career: Hospital Child Life Specialist
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What is your purpose and passion?
I have always felt a strong passion to be an advocate and supporter for children who have unique needs. I think a strength of mine is being able to bring a voice to those in need, thinking outside of the box to achieve higher outcomes, and injecting fun where you may least expect it.
Why did you decide to change careers?
As a child life specialist in a children’s hospital, I worked many long hours, weekends, and holidays. In anticipation of wanting to have children of my own, I knew that I would prefer a more predictable schedule. Additionally, the pay at the time was not enough to justify the long hours. Lastly, as a child life specialist, I was faced with many devastating situations – children who passed away, children who had lost limbs or family members in a trauma, etc, and my role was to help share the difficult news, explain a diagnosis, and/or help provide emotional support during painful medical procedures. I could feel the toll emotionally that it was taking on me, and I felt that would only increase once I had children of my own.
As a child life specialist in a children’s hospital, I worked many long hours, weekends, and holidays. In anticipation of wanting to have children of my own, I knew that I would prefer a more predictable schedule. Additionally, the pay at the time was not enough to justify the long hours. Lastly, as a child life specialist, I was faced with many devastating situations – children who passed away, children who had lost limbs or family members in a trauma, etc, and my role was to help share the difficult news, explain a diagnosis, and/or help provide emotional support during painful medical procedures. I could feel the toll emotionally that it was taking on me, and I felt that would only increase once I had children of my own.
What steps did you take to change careers?
-I explored options available to me at the University associated with the hospital I worked at. I took some exploratory courses and met with department chairs in a few different areas before I settled on obtaining a teaching degree in the area of Special Education/Visual Disabilities.
-For 2 years, I took 2 classes per semester while working. In order to do this, I moved positions at the hospital to accommodate the course hours. (I worked 6 am – 2:30 pm at the hospital and took a class 4 pm -7 pm 2 days per week.)
– I worked a part time job off and on to supplement the cost of the courses and to save money for my student teaching.
-When it was time to do my student teaching, I left my work at the hospital to teach for a semester unpaid.
-I was also planning a move to a new state, so I obtained a separate teaching certificate for Texas and interviewed for jobs in preparation for a new school calendar.
-I explored options available to me at the University associated with the hospital I worked at. I took some exploratory courses and met with department chairs in a few different areas before I settled on obtaining a teaching degree in the area of Special Education/Visual Disabilities.
-For 2 years, I took 2 classes per semester while working. In order to do this, I moved positions at the hospital to accommodate the course hours. (I worked 6 am – 2:30 pm at the hospital and took a class 4 pm -7 pm 2 days per week.)
– I worked a part time job off and on to supplement the cost of the courses and to save money for my student teaching.
-When it was time to do my student teaching, I left my work at the hospital to teach for a semester unpaid.
-I was also planning a move to a new state, so I obtained a separate teaching certificate for Texas and interviewed for jobs in preparation for a new school calendar.
What do you love most about your current career?
-I love the new and unique expertise I have learned and been able to bring to the district I work in.
– I love the continuity with students and families that I get to have by working with them throughout their schooling journey.
-I love that I see children of all ages with very unique needs
– I love that I can create my own schedule from day to day
-I love that there are new things for me to learn all the time
-I love the consistency and predictability of the schedule that aligns with my children’s school schedule
– I love being able to see my daughter and her friends sometimes during the day at school.
– I love the knowledge I have gained within the school system that helps me to be prepared as a parent of school aged children.
-I love the flexibility I have for needs that come up with my children.
How do you feel since your career change?
I know for sure that this is what I should be doing in my life right now. I feel that it definitely supports my career goals and purpose as well as my goals as a mother and wife. I know at my old job, I would be working on holidays and in summers that would take time away from my family.
Did you find career change to be easier or harder than you expected?
Getting a degree and working was definitely a challenge. When I transitioned to the new job initially, I felt intimidated to be new at something at an older age, but I also realized quickly that I could carry over so many experiences, knowledge, and wisdom from my previous job that really gave me an edge.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love spending time with my family, running, reading, and playing tennis.
What advice would you give someone considering a career change?
I think a career switch that is thoughtfully considered can bring such liberating change to your life. In my case, the new job was more money, less hours, and equally rewarding…but not every decision to change is quite that simple. If you’ve explored all of the factors and your personal priorities can be better aligned through a career change, I think it will be worth it in the long run.
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Change is: Inevitable.
Jobs are: What we make of them.
Life is: A journey. Each experience is something you can take with you and learn from.
Final Thoughts: If you are not happy about something, change it or change the way you think about it. In my house, if there’s a problem, you are not allowed to complain about it if you are not working on a solution.
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We are so excited to see Stacey is #ThrivingonPurpose!
