Eric Tisdale

Eric Tisdale was always good at math. So it came as no surprise that, for several years, he excelled in his career as an accountant. But at some point, the call to teach became too loud to ignore.

"I love teaching kids and feel like I have a lot to offer," Eric said. "I always wanted to go into teaching."

After researching colleges and programs, Eric found "there was just something about St. Petersburg College that drew me to it. I felt a sense of community and a sense of togetherness at SPC, and that kind of drew me in. I felt like SPC was where I needed to be."

Eric graduated from St. Petersburg College in 2014 with a B.S. in Exceptional Student Education. He now works as a support facilitator for seventh graders with emotional and behavioral disorders at Azalea Middle School.

He credits SPC's College of Education with helping him move from one career to the one he loves.

''I learned so much during my practicum, observation and my final internships," Eric said. "The teachers were very highly-qualified They really built on background knowledge and were very helpful; very caring. They want you to succeed."