Imagine, Je’mere Heyward as a Professor, Instructor, Teacher. This is the epitome of surrealism  and one of the greatest opportunities of a lifetime. I reminisce about my undergraduate/graduate years at Touro College. Early mornings chasing the clock begging for more time to just inhale down time. Late nights studying while breast feeding my second born and trying to get my oldest to read independently. Earnestly to say that the accomplishment out weighed the struggle.

Eager to give my students the empowerment I craved during my college days, I arrived an hour early, prepared and ready to give it all I’ve got. Nervous and anticipating error I look each student in the eye and begin to engage. As we shared conversation while forming a circle to begin the lesson for the day, I instantaneously remember I’m not wearing Professor heals but instead purple converses  with the head of the Statue of Liberty in neon green on them.  Mind you, It’s always my practice to remain humble but at the same time breathing the much needed confidence I needed to get me through the 2 hour course.

As I began going over the semesters expectations, the passion I have within me to teach created a fierce stamina that ran wild through my vains.

Before I knew it, I breezed through the syllabus and some of the text material in no time.

I secretly congratulated myself and thought that felt natural. Home just in time to check homework, drill my children about their daily responsibilities, share my thoughts with my life partner and catch cake wars or the donut show down before bed. Oh! and eat too.

The semester ends in approximately fourteen weeks and I hope my supporters stay tuned as I share this new chapter of my life.