Career Decisions

Last week I had the opportunity to go to achievement days camp.  I learned that this is a thing that only this ward does.  An older lady with all her kids moved out, has invited the 8-11 year old girls at our church to come to her house for 4 days for a day camp.  She runs the whole thing and simply because she loves it and wants to!  Apparently she thinks that it's not fair that boys have cub scouts but girls don't have anything haha.  She's awesome!  And I wish I had a picture of her house!  OMG, it is huge and beautiful and at the very top of a mountain.  One side of her house is completely window, 2 stories high!  It looks out to the city, the ocean and Anchorage.  It is a spectacular sight!  Plus, she has a ton of land for the girls to roam around on.  I had a blast hanging out with these girls!  I'm used to toddler/preschool age so it was fun to hang out with some older kids.  And man are they funny!  Each day I came home tired but I really had fun!  We did crafts and hiking and songs and lessons and more.  It was a good way to spend my week. 

This got me thinking tho...  I am currently starting the process of applying to grad school.  I got my bachelors in Speech and Hearing Science and want my masters in Speech Pathology.  (speech therapy)  My ultimate goal is to work as a speech therapist 2-3 days a week.  But a lot of my friends are having a hard time getting into grad school for speech pathology and I've already applied once and didn't get in.  I was an average student, I didn't do anything above and beyond, but I got mostly A's and B's.  I don't have anything that stands out.

But after having so much fun at that day camp, I started to wonder if I should get my teaching certificate.  I had the opportunity to be the leader of a group for a couple hours and it was fun organizing the kids and seeing the things that they came up with.  I'm still applying to speech schools but maybe I should apply to get my teaching cert. if that doesn't work out...  Idk.

I don't plan on going back to work full-time until my kids are in school full-time, if ever.  So it might be silly to get my teaching certificate ten or so years before I want to use it.  Is it hard to get your teaching certificate in your late 30's?

I just hope I get into grad school for speech pathology so I don't have for go to plan B.  We will see what happens.  Does anyone have any good online schools they liked?  Pro's and Con's to getting your teaching cert. before you plan on using it?