special to the star
After retiring from a 30-year career with General Motors in Laurel, David Taylor of Heidelberg, is now a Mississippi State University-Meridian secondary education major who is one semester away from attaining a 37-year dream of becoming a teacher.
“At 54 years of age, I was too young to retire and just do nothing,” said Taylor. “And, I figured with all the training and experience gained during three decades with General Motors, I may have some knowledge that would be beneficial to others. That, plus a 37-year dream of becoming a teacher and Mississippi State-Meridian’s adult-oriented campus, created the perfect conditions for me to earn my teaching credentials at MSU-Meridian.”
Taylor said being an adult student has been somewhat difficult and challenging, but rewarding.
“I’m finding that I have to study more to retain the knowledge that seemed much easier to grasp when I was younger,” Taylor observed.
“But, like a tortoise, I started slowly by taking one class to get acclimated, kept going and picked up speed, and now here I am headed for the finish line,” he said with a laugh.
Taylor’s final semester as an MSU-Meridian student will be spent in his teaching internship at Laurel Middle School in completion of requirements for his bachelor of science in secondary education with a concentration in teaching of social studies.
It looks like teaching is in the family. Taylor’s wife, Gwendolyn, 31-year old daughter Tamia, and 27-year old son David are all teachers.
Open registration for the 2010 spring semester at Mississippi State University-Meridian will continue through today, and classes will begin Wednesday. Late registration is permitted through Jan. 14.
Call (601) 484-0100 for information about classes at MSU-Meridian.
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