In January of 2017, I was a student at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in the Post-bachelor Special Education Certificate program and, as such, I was working on my practicum at Kailua Elementary School.  I had already spent several years as a State of Hawai'i substitute teacher and I'd then taught at Dole Middle School as a long-term (long long-term....several years) substitute Special Education teacher, and my life-long dream of becoming a teacher had been reignited.  I loved my students!  I loved teaching!  My aspiration was to become a state-certified Special Education teacher and teach until retirement.