Megan Chormicle will be attending this years National TAFE competition June 21-22.
Megan Chormicle, a junior at Timber Creek joined the Texas Association of Future Educators, TAFE, regional competition for the first time only a week before it began. Chormicle enrolled in Principles of Education and Training as a sophomore, simply because she needed a filler in her schedule. At the time she had her sights set on becoming a coach, because of her strong love for sports, she did not want to be an educator.
“I knew since freshman year that I wanted to become some sort of leader but I never would’ve guessed that I would want to become a leader in the classroom rather than on the field,” said Chormicle.
Chormicle was reluctant to join the TAFE club even after her teacher, Kim Smith, repeatedly asked her join, but she didn’t want the club to interfere with her sports, and academics. Smith continued to persist.
“Mrs. Smith told me that I would be an excellent asset to the club and that I’d do well in competitions because of my competitive nature, I told her that I wasn’t really interested mostly because I am big over thinker and competitive started the following week so I wouldn’t have a time to pick, create, and study a presentation,” said Chormicle, “She told me that she knows I’m a hard worker and that I could get it done. so I went and gave it a shot.”
She decided that she would enter into the Exploring Administration Careers category. The requirements for that category included shadowing, interviewing, and creating a presentation on an administrator from your school. Chormicle immediately thought of Donnie Bartlett.
“Mr. Bartlett really helped my family in the past and completely re-shaped the school for the better, so I knew he would be perfect for this.”
Chormicle spent the week following Bartlett around and created her presentation called “Destination Greatness.” She took this presentation to both regionals, state, and now she will be bringing it to nationals as well.
”It is the same presentation that I took to state but I’m making a few changes,” said Chormicle, “ I’m adding a few more personal things, which I think will make it a lot better.”
This years National competition will take place at Disney World in Orlando, FL. Chormicle will be the the only person from Timber Creek advancing this year, accompanied by Kim Smith.
“It’s actually kind of a funny story, I didn’t originally make it to nationals, one of the people who did advance couldn’t go and I was next in line,” said Chormicle. “I was on the bus on the way back from our district track meet. I was extremely tired and extremely exhausted from staying in the sun all day. When I got the text [From Mrs. Smith] I was over joyed and I just couldn’t believe it! It was the best thing I could have heard. ”
Chormicle has come a long way since the regional competition, and is looking forward to making her mark at nationals.
“I’m so excited, but it’s pretty scary because I’m gonna be with a bunch of people I don’t know and I’ll be rooming with people I don’t know,” said Chormicle, “And Nationals is such a bigger scale, but I’m so excited and I can’t wait.”