Every morning, 11th and 12th-grade teacher Karen Whitefield turns the lights on in her classroom at Northbrook High School in Houston and prepares her lesson plans for the day. While she once taught genetics and molecular biology to undergraduates at UT, Whitefield now teaches aquatic science and microbiology at a public high school.

“I got that first little taste of teaching at UT, and I really loved it,” Whitefield said. “I kind of always thought about going back to it, and what made me consider going back to it was kind of losing some of the passion I had for being a pharmacist.”

Whitefield taught at UT while receiving her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. After experiencing the pressure to meet business goals in the pharmaceutical field, she said her time as a lecturer at UT before becoming a pharmacist inspired her to return to teaching. 

The lower stress levels and more fulfilling work of making personal connections with students and making a difference in their lives made the large pay cut with the move to public education worth it, Whitefield said. She said she wanted to show students there are people who care about their success.

“It is not anything that I am even giving a second thought to because I have greater peace of mind, knowing that I can go and teach all day long,” Whitefield said. “I don’t have to worry about some of the worries that come along with a pharmacy-type of job.” 

Whitefield said there are many advantages to teaching high school despite the lower pay, such as longer breaks from work. She said she wants more people to feel confident enough to change careers.

“Hopefully, more people will not be afraid to take the plunge and switch careers if it calls to them,” Whitefield said.

Northbrook principal HP Hyder III said it means a lot to have someone like Whitefield, who’s experienced in teaching science at the higher education level, working at a Title I school. These schools qualify for certain funding because a large percentage of students live at or below a certain income level, according to the Department of Education. 

“Our students need that compassion, that love, that drive and that support more than any other school,” Hyder said. “Knowing that she’s there, and she’s there for the reason of making sure our kids want to be successful, that brings joy to me.”