Every day when we walk into Millbrook, our teachers, advisors, and coaches are a huge influence on us. However, many of these mentors actually had other professions prior to becoming teachers. From a receptionist at a movie studio to a Naval Officer, here are the most interesting and unique jobs our teachers had before they started teaching.

Stationed in Washington, D.C., Digital Media and IB Film teacher, Ms. Romano was a Naval Officer before she began teaching. World Cultures Club advisor, Ms. Cronin worked for the airlines. Back in the 70’s when she applied to American Airlines they weighed her and took all of her measurements. She explains, “If you were overweight, they didn’t even bother interviewing you.” She also mentions that one of the training classes was how to put on makeup. CAD Drafting and CTE teacher, Ms. Wallace started manufacturing machine guns at the age of twenty-seven for Fabrique International Incorporated with prior work in engineering with other companies. She was thirty-six when she became a teacher here. She explains, “Normal working hours would have been a forty hours a week, but when you are supplying the U.S. Government in a critical need situation, it was sixty to seventy-five hours a week.” Also, she mentions that she helped develop new processes for manufacturing.

English teacher, Mrs. Abbott was a salesperson/receptionist at a mobile home lot, a manager at a Hardee’s restaurant, and an extension librarian. She was very busy with different jobs before she became a teacher. “The challenges of managing a turkey farm included long hours, seven day work weeks, dealing with disease and predators,” explains Earth Science teacher, Mr. Murphy. He also mentions the manure being very unpleasant. He says there were twelve-thousand hens and one-thousand, two-hundred toms on his turkey farm.

IB Diploma Programme Coordinator, Mr. Baron worked in a cookie/sandwich shop and was a hotel houseman in Vail, Colorado, in 1986. He also was a bartender for the first true cocktail bar in London back in 1987. In addition, he says he worked for a moving company in Boston while he was in college. Civics, economics, psychology, and sociology teacher, Mr. Schneidewind says that he DJ’ed in college mostly for weddings.

Some teachers have had some awesome jobs that would be pretty interesting to have. Therefore, even though you may not be as passionate about teaching as these faculty members, you should still consider speaking to them about these career opportunities. You never know what stories they have to share.