From dreaming of being a teacher to working in human resources, Liz Lechowicz ’23 took a unique path. Luckily, she didn’t have to walk it alone thanks to the teacher education program faculty and alumni.
Lechowicz was knee-deep in her third year in UD’s teacher education program when she realized her dream of being a high school teacher wasn’t her dream anymore. She spoke with Novea McIntosh, teacher education associate professor and program coordinator, who connected Lechowicz to Treavor Bogard, teacher education department chair and associate professor.
Both were committed to honoring her truth and helping her find a way forward.
“The support was so important,” Lechowicz said. “Being able to express that this wasn’t the field I wanted to go into, and having the support and quick actions to help me take steps to where I want to be was a huge help.”
Those actions included joining the education and allied studies major, an alternative and innovative way School of Education and Health Sciences faculty are meeting the needs of students. Bogard developed a track within the major for students who are at the end of their teacher education studies but want to work outside of the classroom after graduation.
Rather than sacrifice all their experience from the teacher education program, students learn how to transfer the skills and hands-on training they’ve gained.
“These days you have to be adaptable,” Bogard said. “People will go through many careers in the course of their lifetimes. A lot of it is helping the students celebrate being this real with themselves because so many (students) aren’t at that age. Seniors have often been so invested in a career track that it's scary to even consider other possibilities. They're usually deep into a program before realizing they actually have options and can still graduate on time.” Bogard lets them know that it’s OK to switch directions. “In fact, it’s a mark of maturity to be able to confront something that has been nagging at them,” he said.
Networking was another key element Bogard drove home with EAS students, and what’s stronger than a Flyer connection? Bogard introduced Lechowicz to Donna Valponi-Brookhart ’76, who knew what it was like to transition from teaching to corporate life.
Valponi-Brookhart made her career working in marketing with Hallmark Cards and retired from the American Academy of Family Physicians as senior vice president of communications and membership. But before marketing and communications, she worked as a bilingual teacher in an elementary school for five years.
“One of the first conversations I had with Donna helped me open up my perspective,” Lechowicz said. “It gave me relief that people have made big changes before, and a UD alumna would be willing to help me.”
“It gave me relief that people have made big changes before, and a UD alumna would be willing to help me.”
Then Lechowicz was able to start putting all the pieces together. She identified human resources as her field of interest, found an in-house development program with Sherwin-Williams and connected with an alumna, Mary Faye Cicero ’15, who is a talent acquisition director for the company.
Now Lechowicz works as a human resources generalist with Sherwin-Williams in Atlanta.
Flyers helping Flyers is big at UD, and alumni actively engage in the community. Valponi-Brookhart was asked to volunteer in the School of Education and Health Sciences Advisory Council; and, as a long-time donor to the University, is establishing a scholarship through planned giving to help future inner-city, low-income students become teachers.
When asked why it’s important to give back, Valponi-Brookhart said, “My mother wanted more than anything to go to college, and they had no money. She was one of eight kids. And that just instilled in me, not only a desire to excel in my own life, but to give back.
“And that’s the essence of UD — the importance of community, friendship and giving back.”
