From the Marine Corps to the Classroom

Annie Talley Ochoa has long known that she was meant to teach. But as years and then decades passed, her plans to enter the classroom were repeatedly sidetracked and eventually stalled.

At age 44, that’s about to change. Talley Ochoa is on track to earn her teaching credential next August, when she finishes her master’s degree in education. Already, though, her first year as a teacher is underway.

Talley Ochoa is enrolled in TeachStart, a teacher preparation program that allows aspiring educators to work full-time and earn a full salary — first as substitute teachers and eventually as lead teachers — while earning their credential. Last year, Talley Ochoa taught as a long-term sub in a public school in San Jose, California. This year, she’s teaching U.S. history at a high school in East Palo Alto while she wraps up her coursework.

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