Teaching was Christine Healy’s destiny from an early age, but it took her a little while to reach her goal. As a child, she played school and dreamed of becoming a teacher. In middle school, she was a gifted student who tutored others. As an adult, she earned her business degree and then began training other people. But while growing up, she also watched her father teach at University of Phoenix. He really loved what he did, and her mother always told her she would grow up to be a teacher someday.
Whether it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, fate or some other force of nature, Healy did find her way into the classroom. It just took a few detours and a little longer than she expected.
Six Colleges Later
Like many of her students, Healy considers herself to be a nontraditional learner. During her 34-year marriage to a member of the military, she moved 25 times. Since online college wasn’t an option for her at that time, Healy attended six different colleges before earning her business administration bachelor’s degree. However, that degree was only the beginning of what she had planned. Her husband had begun to contemplate retirement, and Healy was starting to think about what she wanted to do next.
She recalls making a “crazy deal” with her husband, saying to him, “If you put me through my master’s program, then when you retire, you can stay home and run that thing you love that sucks up all the dirt off the floor.” Her husband couldn’t refuse that offer, and Healy started on her master’s program shortly thereafter. She had a family and a one-hour commute, but she was determined to make it work. She earned her degree, but by then their family had moved to Texas. She started a career in human resources.
The Business World Gave Way to the Classroom
Eventually, Healy found herself working in the human resources department of an ice cream company in St. George, Utah. But then something happened: University of Phoenix opened a campus in St. George. Healy was determined that having a full-time position would not stop her from pursuing opportunities for teaching. Her father had taught at the University for 20 years, and she was reminded of his enjoyable experience there. She decided that this was her golden opportunity to get into teaching, and she took that opportunity for all it was worth.
She started teaching while working full time, and it wasn’t easy. But Healy also believed that teaching was her calling and that she could not ignore it. While her husband watched TV on the weekends, she spent her time grading assignments. Sometimes that meant going over 20 papers from her business students in a single sitting, but she loved what she did.
There’s meaning in her path and what she can share with her students based on her educational and life experiences. She wouldn’t trade that for a job without enough work to do or where she would have more free time on the weekends.
Her energy and empathy make an amazing mix for students who need help and support when they take her class. But they also learn more than just the information on the syllabus or in the textbook. Because she shares what she has done and how she worked her way through life, Healy can help prepare her students for the same kinds of trials they may face.
She teaches them how to be bold, work for what they want and be persistent in following their dreams. Healy also teaches empathy and compassion for themselves and for others. The more her students work to help one another as they all pursue their education, the more they can give and receive value that goes far beyond the information they’ll gain out of the textbook.
Healy often takes on additional classes when they’re available and has become an invaluable resource for University of Phoenix students. She typically teaches strategic human resource management but has also tackled other classes throughout the last 14 years. Being invested in the success of her students is a big part of what sets Healy apart as an educator. She works to understand her students, getting to know them and making sure to challenge them in ways that help them grow. This is all part of what makes Healy an educator who truly helps students accomplish their goals.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix has a deep commitment to higher education and to providing access to that education for as many students as possible. With numerous opportunities to develop skills and knowledge, students can take that information out into the world and work toward their professional goals. Students also gain important tools that can make it easier for them to improve their communities and organizations.
University of Phoenix offers online options to meet student needs on the cutting edge of opportunity when it comes to today’s educational climate. Working students and underserved populations can often struggle to complete a degree program, but the University always seeks additional ways to help all students succeed with their personal goals.
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