By: Tiffany Ertle, Commencement Speaker
I am so honored to have been chosen to speak today. I must admit something to you; I honestly never thought I would go to college. When I graduated from high school, the last thing I wanted to do was go through more schooling. I honestly had no clue what I wanted to do in life. But I did know that before I made the investment and the commitment of going to college, I wanted to be 100% sure I was on the right path. My mom, who is a teacher and is the daughter of a teacher, said to me, “Tiffany, you should be a teacher! You’re so good with kids!” I laughed and said, “Yeah, right, mom, I can’t stand kids!”
But I did know that I wanted to get married and be a mother. In my early 20’s I met and married my husband, Corey. After nine years of marriage and countless hurdles, we welcomed our beautiful twin boys, Dominic & Damien. Their arrival made me feel complete. As it does, time flew by, and in 2014 we had the opportunity through my husband’s job to relocate from Ohio to Florida. I was all too happy to sell my snowblower and buy some beach chairs instead!
Once we got to Florida, I felt we were on our way to a truly happy life. In 2015 our boys started Kindergarten, and being the helicopter mother that I am, I walked them in to school every morning. One day as I was watching them walk down the hallway to class, the secretary said I should consider becoming a substitute. I told her that I didn’t have a college degree. She told me that our district was in such need for substitutes, that all I needed was a high school diploma. So, I became a substitute at Citrus County Schools. Eventually, I figured out that my mother was right all along. I wanted to be a teacher! And I actually LOVE kids! Sorry, mom, I guess I should have listened to you all of those years ago!
In January 2016, everything changed. After several years with his employer, my husband was let go. With my work as a substitute and some assistance from unemployment, we made it through the months it took him to find a new and better job. I decided that I needed to attend college and get a degree so that my family and I would be more secure in our future. That summer, I decided to enroll at Saint Leo to pursue my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. As a busy wife and mother to twin boys who worked full-time substituting at their school, I needed the flexibility that Saint Leo’s online classes me.
So that Fall, I worked on my classes while balancing working full-time as a substitute teacher, caring for my children, husband, and pets as well as working part-time as a freelance photographer. My hard work paid off in 2018, and I earned my Associate of Arts degree. I even walked in the Gainesville commencement ceremony to celebrate my achievement!
While pursuing my AA, I took two amazing history classes, and it was those two classes that made me realize I wanted to be a history teacher! I changed my major, and with that, my residence. I became an Adult Education student at the main campus! I was so excited to be able to attend classes at the campus as I never thought I would be a real college student! I’ll be honest, there were a few times that I was mistaken for a member of Faculty, but that was ok. I just told them I was an “alternative aged student.” I made several friends at the campus and even felt welcomed by the “kids” in my classes. I tried to help them as much as I could and be a support to them when they needed me.
I took the dreaded General Knowledge test the following January and passed every subtest the first time around, except for the Math. Math is my kryptonite. I have taken the test two additional times and still have not passed it. But I wouldn’t let that stop me from reaching my goal! I changed my degree to Educational Studies: Education and Adolescence- Social Sciences determined to finish what I started! I switched back to the online platform and took my last four classes online, returning to where I started. Through all of the ups and downs, the stress and the heartache, I never gave up.
And that is the message I want to impart to you today. No matter what life hands you, never give up. No matter how hard it might seem, you can do anything you set your mind to accomplish. Every morning you have two choices: Continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. Because as Eleanor Roosevelt eloquently said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Thank you to my husband Corey, my sons Dominic & Damien, and our families for supporting me in the many ways you have through this process. I love you all more than I can ever say.
Thank you to my Professors, University Supervisors, Cooperating Teachers, and classmates for all of your guidance and support. And finally, congratulations to my fellow Graduates…I wish you all the best of luck as you follow your dreams and remember, all our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
