Not surprisingly, the familiarity with teaching as a profession within these families influenced some choices made by succeeding generations. Depending on the timeframe, teaching was also one of the few options for women in the families. But that core passion to teach played a role as well. 

“Having so many educators in the family and hearing their stories inspired me. I grew up playing teacher with my brothers and sisters. We had old desks from a college nearby, and every summer we’d play,” Martin recalls. 

“For me, in 1968, my choices were secretary, teaching or nursing. UNI had the best reputation with their teacher education program and was available to me,” Maxedon relates. “I had grown up playing teacher and had a 5th grade teacher who was a big influence. She made learning fun. I wanted my own students to have as much fun as I did.” 

Allia Yarrow (‘15 BA, biology education) was inspired by her grandfather, Keith Yarrow, (‘63 BA, secondary teaching, ‘71 MA mathematics), and aunt Lisa Yarrow, (‘91 BA elementary education and health education, ‘98 MA, health education). 

“I visited my aunt sometimes after elementary school. She worked in the connected middle school at the time as a science teacher, and I loved seeing her classroom and the activities they were up to,” she says. “When I was a sophomore in high school, we were asked to do research on careers we might find interesting as part of our benchmark speeches, and I interviewed my grandfather about teaching. I learned a lot about the profession from him.” 

Borcherding’s mother Raelene always wanted to be an English teacher. “Reading, writing stories and diagramming sentences brought her happiness,” she says. For her grandmother, however, teaching was an opportunity among limited choices at a different time, in the 1940s. But she also loved what she chose. “As one of 10 children, she and several of her sisters chose teaching as a post-Depression way of supporting themselves financially,” Borcherding says. “She loved teaching fifth grade and loved math. She thought she was pretty good at it; so good at it that she challenged a math professor to a tennis match. If she won, she received an A in his class. She lost the match, but did receive the A!”

Career trends ebb and flow. Even teaching, which contributes to society’s educational foundation, has had its moments of flux. At these times, these teachers remind themselves and others of the moments that encouraged them throughout their careers. 

“When a parent would let me know that their child loved being in my class or loved doing a certain project or activity, those comments are heartwarming, to say the least. It makes a teacher feel appreciated,” says Weber. 

“I don’t think anything beats having students tell you at the end of their four years that you made a difference in their lives — that you challenged them and they’ve become doctors because of it, or that you’ve opened their eyes to career paths they’d never thought were for them, or that you simply just believed they could pass your class or even graduate,” says Yarrow. “That sort of tangible change is something undeniable. Those moments are the reason I know I made the right choice.” 

As the 150th class enters UNI this fall, the next generation begins its journey to add to the legacy of UNI Teacher Education. Their forebears wish them well. 

“Just keep growing and improving yourself,” Martin advises. “The teaching profession is always changing, and you have to be able to change with it.