Michelle Aldrich
State CTE Director
State of Wyoming
Cheyenne, WY USA
“My philosophy is, 'Better late than never!'”
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Dropped out of college after 1 year to work at Mountain Bell which later became AT&T
Studied for my real estate license and multi-line insurance license to make a career change
Followed my husband to a very small community with limited job opportunities. Worked as an emergency services dispatcher working nights
Worked as a coordinator for a personal emergency response system at the local hospital and took a course in grant writing
Hired as a county WIC Director / nutritionist while teaching as adjunct faculty for a community college and the University of Wyoming
Worked as a Student Services Director at a community college outreach center doing all community ed, advising, and financial aid for community college students
Taught FACS at a small rural school and then at an alternative school of choice
Earned my Educational Leadership endorsement and completed my administrator internships
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Cheyenne East High School
Cheyenne East High School
Doctorate
Adult Learning & Technology
University of Wyoming
Adult Learning & Technology
University of Wyoming
Career
State CTE Director
I oversee Career and Technical Education in Wyoming.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Government
Working with Others
Day to Day
I work with a variety of stakeholder groups to connect what is needed in the workforce and what students are being taught in high school or community college career and technical education programs. I attend a lot of meetings each day; read current research literature in a variety of areas; write grants and reports; present to groups; and explore new curriculum. I work with our federal partners to help move funds from our federal partners to our local districts and community colleges.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
Once you have some experience under your belt teaching, begin applying for state education agency positions.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Doctorate
Adult Learning & Technology
Adult Learning & Technology
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You are too old to go back to school."
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
