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Bridget Terry knows that finding your place sometimes means getting lost along the way. 

After starting college with the goal of becoming a nurse, she switched to cosmetology, hoping for a creative outlet. But no matter where she turned, something was missing.

“I told myself, ‘You know what? I need something more permanent. I need something that’s going to fare out in the future,’” Terry says.

That realization led her back to school, where she earned her bachelor’s in early education in 1998 and began a career she’s never looked back on.

Now, more than two decades later, she is still pursuing new ways to grow as an educator with a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from UL Lafayette.

Discovering Her Passion

Originally from New York, Terry and her family moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana, when she was just a newborn.

By middle school, they settled in New Orleans, where she grew up surrounded by a community of faith at the Baptist Theological Seminary.

After trying her hand in various fields, Terry found her true passion in education. 

“One of my first jobs was at the daycare, I was always involved with the youth at church, always the babysitter for everybody,” she says. “I’ve just always loved children.” 

After earning her bachelor’s degree in education and gaining teaching experience in New Orleans, Terry moved to Lafayette and began teaching in the Lafayette Parish School System. 

Once she got experience in several schools and grade levels, she found herself drawn to leadership positions. 

“I was one of the first educators employed and on the leadership team at the Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy,” she says. “Holding different roles there helped me to discover my leadership skills, and everything started to become centered around leadership, so I knew I needed to go back to school.” 

Inspired by the educational leaders around her, Terry decided she was ready to take the next step in her career. 

Finding the Right Program at UL Lafayette

Terry’s decision to pursue her master’s degree was shaped by a desire to become a certified leader in her school system.

“I was blessed to work under some amazing female school leaders that I looked up to,” she says. “My principals would always say ‘Bridget, you have good leadership qualities. You need to go to school so you can get certified to become a principal when the time is right.’”

With the words of those leaders motivating her, she began researching programs.

“I heard about UL Lafayette a lot from others who were going through the program. After checking out a couple of schools, I decided that UL Lafayette was my top choice,” Terry says.

Despite initial reservations about her program’s hybrid structure, Terry’s experience was overwhelmingly positive thanks to the support of her professors and peers.

But just a few months into the program, Terry experienced an unexpected setback — a serious fall that derailed her plans. 

One Word: Perseverance

Adjusting to online learning while recovering from her fall proved to be a challenge for Terry.

“I didn’t want to talk about it initially because it took me to a bad space,” she recalls. 

But her professors knew something wasn’t right.

“When I finally spoke with them about it, they told me, ‘We already know what you can do. Just take your time and come back when you’re better and we will go from there,’” she says. “I knew UL Lafayette was the place for me because of the concern the professors showed me.”

The decision to step away and focus on her health wasn’t easy. 

But a year later, she returned to finish what she started.

Though it was challenging joining a new cohort and adjusting to her new peers, she found strength in the encouragement of her family and her desire to set an example for her children. 

“They were so understanding. They would see me working every day, so they really learned to be less dependent on me compared to before,” she says. “And I’m glad they experienced that, the start to the finish and everything in between. They knew the purpose and they knew the reason behind it."

Supporting Student Growth as a Librarian

With over 22 years in education, Terry recently transitioned into a new role as a librarian at Alice Boucher Elementary School in Lafayette.

And it was UL Lafayette’s online M.Ed. in Educational Leadership program that prepared Terry for this new chapter.

“I’m not a typical librarian who just reads books. I get excited when I’m able to incorporate standards that are being taught in the classroom into my library lessons,” says Terry. “UL Lafayette’s program really taught us how to dig deep into curriculum.” 

Outside of her duties as a librarian, Terry also serves as the Executive Director of Kingdom Tied, a nonprofit youth services organization. 

Through her company, The Learning Coach LLC., she offers after-school tutoring and recently launched a summer camp to help students from Pre-K through 2nd grade transition smoothly into a classroom setting. 

“I’m a firm believer that there’s no one curriculum for everybody, so I like that I can better accommodate them in my summer program,” she says. 

“In my role as a librarian, I’m able to encourage non-readers to start reading, regardless of their current reading ability.”

Continuing Education

While Terry was initially set to begin her doctorate program at UL Lafayette this semester, she chose to focus on her new role as a librarian.

But continuing her education is still on the horizon.

“It’s something I’m still interested in; I went to info sessions and everything. But I’m excited about the opportunity to be a librarian for a few years before retiring,” she says. 

“I love being an educator and have so much more to offer this generation of learners.”

For Terry, the relationships she formed with faculty at UL Lafayette played a significant role in shaping both her career and her desire to continue her education. 

“I received so much more than an education while at UL Lafayette. Relationships were created by caring professors, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything."

As she continues to shape young minds, her story stands as a reminder of the power of perseverance for students who are currently working through the program.

“Believe in yourself no matter what. I was 51 years old when I started, had an accident that changed my life, got married while managing four school-aged kids and later started a full-time job," says Terry.

“You can do it, even if you’re working full-time and have a family. Go to UL Lafayette — the support you’ll receive is unmatched.”

Ready to take your career in education to the next level? Learn more about our M.Ed. in Educational Leadership program.