EducatHer of the month

Meet Ms. Thompson

April 6th, 2022

"Where do I begin! Becoming a New York City high school Physical Education teacher was no easy task to say the least but I wouldn’t change not one part of that journey. Despite the adversity and hardships I was going through in my life, I decided to take the calculated risk of going back to school in my late 20s to study Physical Education while working full time. In my mind, it was either now or never. There was never going to be the “perfect” time to go back. I had a plan and I was willing to make the adjustments and pivot moves along the way. As long as I was moving forward semester by semester and maintaining my physical, emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual health, I knew I had this in the bag. I just had to stay committed , consistent to my plan and quickly recover from anything that was trying to stop my mission, day after day, and year after year. During those four years of undergrad, I was under immense pressure to keep my whole operation alive. If my work performance wasn’t up to par, I would then be risking my livelihood immediately; if my academic performance was lack lustered, I wouldn’t have been able to maintain my gpa to remain in the teacher’s program. Keep in mind, I’m a woman who is living on her own in one of the most expensive cities in the US, working a full time job in Manhattan while going to class in Queens. My want for this degree was greater than any challenge that came my way. I didn’t allow anyone, or anything stop my hustle; this is what I wanted. I was willing to put in the work, the time and energy it required of me to make it my reality even if it meant facing many sleepless nights , not being around my loved one’s as much I wanted to, and hanging with my buddies. I had business to take care of and the people who supported me throughout that time, understood and honored what I was doing. As an athlete and sports fanatic, this was the perfect career move. What kept me going was the pure mental image of me waking up to do what I love every single day; teaching the youth about the importance of their physical health and different ways to stay physically active. On top of that my work clothes consist of sweat pants, a hoodie and sneakers!This is a dream! Lol
After four years of commuting on the NYC trains late at night, coming home after 10pm most nights, December 2021 I graduated with my bachelors degree in science with honors at the age of 31! The very next month I started my career as a Physical Education teacher in one of New York City’s largest schools. I am truly blessed to share my story! I believe in my abilities and because of this journey, I will forever believe in myself. My will was stronger than any doubt or fear that I had. It feels amazing knowing that I made my dreams come true due when the odds were against me and the resistance was so great. Put yourself under some pressure and resistance and see how great you become."

-Ms. Rebekah Thompson