Ms. Tia Stoa

The end of the school year is approaching, and that means this year's graduating class is about to enter "The Real World". Many students will be receiving some sort of education beyond Park Center, and many others will be entering the workplace. Regardless of what their plans are, these students are making important decisions that will impact the rest of their lives. Not to worry though, some Park Center staff members have some great advice and life experiences to share with students who may be unsure about what they want to do with their lives.

When asked "What kind of jobs have you had?", Park Center's Ms. Tia Stoa replied with a laugh, "How long is your paper?". Ms. Stoa, who grew up in St. Cloud, has experienced a wide variety of occupations. She has worked at Old Country Buffet, Stearns Manufacturing Plant, selling blinds at "The Little Blind Spot", as a paraprofessional at Edison Elementary and Edison High School, she has managed a pool, worked for a Plymouth marketing firm, and has also held multiple jobs at Park Center. Ms. Stoa started working at Park Center as a secretary before going back to college to earn a teaching degree. This past year was her first as a teacher, spending part of her day at Brooklyn Junior and part at Park Center.

"I spent some time tutoring math for the Basic Skills Tests. After working at Park Center I really fell in love with the school and how committed its teachers are. I am really happy to have found a job where I can make a difference," says Ms. Stoa. She says that finding "the right job" gives her a good chance to finally slow down and enjoy doing what she loves. After years on the career journey, Ms. Stoa will be a full-time ELL teacher at Park Center next year.

Mr. Stan Sherwood

Ms. Stoa isn't the only teacher who has changed their career. For example, Mr. Stan Sherwood has made a very drastic career change. Mr. Sherwood made the unconventional switch from being an Electrical and Computer Engineer to teaching English. "I loved the math and problem-solving [in engineering], but I was less enchanted by the lack of connection with both other people and the broader world in the particular job I had," says Mr. Sherwood. He claims that it would not have been terribly hard to find a new job in the engineering field that would have better suited his wants, but he decided that if he was going to make a change it would be best to go for something totally new.

Other staff members at Park Center who have made large career changes also include physics teacher Paul "Goodie" Thompson who was once an engineer, counselor Austin Tollerson who was once in sales, and secretary Jennifer Ajsenburg who has been a mortician. Although they have each experienced different sides of the career spectrum, they all agree that finding a job you enjoy is very important.