One man’s transition from corporate America to the classroom
Mark Knapp’s path to teaching was an unconventional one. It took him to tech giant Google and to Africa and Southeastern Asia.
But when the Amherst College graduate finally decided on a new career path that would impact lives, he turned to teaching. Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College was one of his top choices for a graduate school.
“I chose MLFTC because the program is by far one of the best in the country,” says the Phoenix resident. “The emphasis on innovation has great appeal and MLFTC is doing cutting edge research.”
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College placed No. 12 in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Graduate Schools of Education rankings. Among public universities, MLFTC ranked No. 5.
Knapp, 34, is working towards an MEd in Secondary Education (teacher certification) through an online program at MLFTC. During the day, he is paid to teach English language arts at Papago School in the Creighton Elementary School District. Right now, he has an Alternative Teaching Certificate from the Arizona Department of Education. The certificate is valid for two years (and may be extended) and enables people like Knapp to teach in a classroom and earn a salary while completing the necessary requirements for an Arizona Standard Professional Teaching Certificate.
“The online program is convenient and flexible,” explains Knapp. “It is easy to schedule around teaching. It allows me to work at my own pace and get a master’s (degree) while teaching full time.”
Family ties to teaching
Knapp grew up near Philadelphia. Both his parents and sisters are teachers. After graduating college in 2010, he worked in business development for PepsiCo, Salesforce, Inc. and then Google in both the United States and Singapore.Then it was time for a change.
“It was a good thing to work with these great organizations, but ultimately I wanted to do work that would contribute to solving social problems,” he says. “As much as I liked Google and the people, I was basically selling ads.”
After leaving Google, he backpacked through Southeastern Asia, India, China, Mongolia and Russia; worked for nonprofits in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda; and then returned to the states to attend MLFTC.
Move to MLFTC makes the difference
“I felt like I should teach, but didn’t have any teaching experience,” says Knapp, who was drawn to the creativity and autonomy of teaching.
“That’s when I decided on MLFTC. It’s a great school, a supportive environment and the program is well established. It is one of the top ranked colleges in the country.”
MLFTC offers options for career changers. Students with a bachelor's degree can take a certification-only path or pursue a master’s degree plus certification, which is what Knapp is doing. ASU undergraduate students enrolled in non-education degrees also have the ability to become certified to teach without changing their major.
Kevin Laack, student recruitment director for MLFTC, believes people that transition to teaching from a different career contribute something extra to their work with students and colleagues.
“They bring their subject knowledge and life experience to the college,” Laack says. “And we teach them the educational theories and practical strategies they need to teach. Many principals employ our graduate students as full-time teachers while they complete their degrees, filling their openings with rising educators like Mr. Knapp.”
Elizabeth Frias, teacher-prep instructor at MLFTC, says career changers like Knapp’s are common. And the alternative teaching route offered at MLFTC is the perfect place for them.
Frias has personal experience with the career change process. She graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in business and worked in finance before realizing she wanted to be a teacher.
“Not everyone knows what they want to do when they graduate college, right?”
Learn more
There are many paths to pursuing a teaching certificate:
Undergraduate degrees and certificates: https://education.asu.edu/degree-programs/undergraduate-programs
Remote options for graduate students: https://education.asu.edu/asu-sync-masters
All master’s degrees: https://education.asu.edu/degree-programs/graduate-programs/masters-degrees
Graduate certificates: https://education.asu.edu/degree-programs/graduate-programs/graduate-certificates