Still Grateful. Still Heartbroken.

Let me be clear about one thing: I loved my job.

I loved teaching. I loved mentoring. And most of all, I loved my students - every single one who walked into that classroom with curiosity, courage, and hope for a better future. Watching them grow in skill and confidence was the most fulfilling part of my career. And I miss it every day.

Despite everything that unfolded, the heart of my work was never the issue. The people I served - my students and the vulnerable individuals they were training to care for - always made it worth showing up.

What made it difficult wasn’t the work. It was the system. The disorganization, disregard, and the retaliation.

I’ve been in healthcare and education for over three decades. I’ve dealt with difficult personalities and unprofessional behavior before - that’s nothing new. But I have never encountered the level of dysfunction, disregard, and retaliatory culture that I experienced at the top of this particular organization. 

There’s a difference between a “bad egg” and systemic rot. And when leadership chooses to look the other way - or worse, reward it - it becomes impossible to continue without compromising your own ethics.

That said, I carry no bitterness toward the students I taught or the work I did. I carry pride. I carry gratitude. And I carry the truth.

Because sometimes loving a job means walking away when staying would mean losing yourself.

-- K