I first made this announcement on my LinkedIn, but I felt it was appropriate to post something specific and more detailed here because the amount of support I have received from you, the tens of readers of my blog, has always been overwhelmingly positive.
In just a few weeks, I will be leaving my job as Director of Engineering at Inspirato and starting a new one as the Computer Science and Cybersecurity Instructor at Warren Tech High School in Lakewood, Colorado.
I am equal parts excited and scared shitless—or some other type of scared that is more professorial... like... concernedly constipated—so have been calling this transition my Big Scary Thing™️. Because it is big, and scary; but it's also something that excites me and deserves my respect (and the capitalization of a proper noun).
For those that are either not from the area, or are unfamiliar with it, Warren Tech is a career and technical education center serving the entire Jefferson County School District (and then some), and offers a particularly unique value proposition.
For 3 hours a day, Junior and Senior high school students that apply to the program leave their home schools in order to receive a tuition-free education in a trade or career of their interest or choice. From dental assisting to cosmetology to airplane maintenance to graphic design to (you guessed it) computer science and cybersecurity, students have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to kickstart their futures.
As a former student of Warren Tech (one who went through the exact same program I am taking over), I am deeply grateful that something like it exists and provides a huge range of career paths for students who may not be able to afford or attend college due to that tricky thing called "life circumstances."
The fact that it exists at all is a blessing, and I am honored to be a part of it.
To anyone who knows me, a mid-career shift from working as an engineering leader in-industry to teaching at the public high school level is probably not all that surprising; mentorship and coaching are the things that I have enjoyed the most in my leadership roles—and, honestly, at this point in my life are the only things I enjoy in those roles anymore—and a not-insignificant amount of my personal time over the last few years has been dedicated to volunteering with various STEM and Computer Science programs within the state of Colorado.
So, in many ways, this isn't a new chapter in my life, but an entirely new book. For the first time in my career, I will be working solely for the betterment of others, rather than myself or my employer. It is a profound responsibility; one that I won't be taking lightly.
As a writer, I intend to document this (potentially insane) journey from Professional Nerd to Teacher of Professional Nerds; from lesson plans to lessons learned, I hope to build a platform to help others who are considering making a similar leap of faith in their own careers. I'm not sure what format this will take (maybe a newsletter, or a podcast, or something more unique like a ham radio show or print zine), but as I start to settle into my new role, I will make sure to share everything.
It's going to be a journey, and I'm excited to bring you all along with me on it.
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If you like this post or one of my projects, you can buy me a coffee, or send me a note. I'd love to hear from you!
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This is post 058 of #100DaysToOffload