For Jill Risdal, teaching isn’t just a career; it’s her calling. As an alum of Morningside University’s teacher intern program, Jill’s journey into education is a testament to resilience and the power of finding purpose. 

Jill currently teaches Career and Technical Education at Sioux City Career Academy. Before that, she spent another eight years at North High School. With 16 years of teaching under her belt, Jill specializes in the fashion and interior design pathways, teaching everything from sewing to fundamentals of design. “I love redoing my curriculum to make it more relevant,” she shares. “Teaching fashion and interior design means I have to stay on top of current trends and technology.” 

But Jill’s path to teaching wasn’t a straight line. In fact, it was a life-changing pivot. “I was going through a divorce and trying to figure out what to do with my life,” she recalls. A chance conversation with her lawyer and two counselors from East High School set her on a new course. “They asked me about my strengths and suggested I become a family consumer science teacher because there was a huge shortage. They connected me with Morningside University, and that’s how I found the teacher intern program.” 

Jill joined the program in its earliest days, becoming part of the inaugural cohort in 2009. “It was all face-to-face back then,” she says. “I started as a long-term substitute in January 2010 and got a full-time teaching job by August. The program was truly life-changing for me.” 

Reflecting on her time in the program, Jill highlights the invaluable lessons she learned. “We studied a lot of theory and psychology, created lesson plans, and learned classroom management. We even had sessions on working with English language learners, which gave us a taste of what our students experience. The program also taught us how to align our teaching with standards and benchmarks, which was all new to me.” 

One of Jill’s favorite aspects of the program was the camaraderie within her cohort. “We were a small group from all different disciplines, math, music, and English. I was the only family consumer science teacher, but we learned so much from each other and became really close. We still stay in touch.” 

For those considering a career change and the teacher intern program, Jill offers heartfelt advice: “Give it a try and see if it’s for you. You don’t know unless you experience it. I remember my very first day of teaching so vividly, I thought, ‘This is what I was created to do.’ I love building relationships with students and truly believe I’m making a difference in their lives.” 

Jill’s passion for teaching extends beyond the classroom. She served on the program’s advisory board for nearly a decade and was part of its leadership team, meeting monthly to help shape its future. “I wouldn’t be a teacher without this program,” she says. “It allowed me to work while going to school and support my children. It was life-changing.” 

Today, Jill continues to inspire others with her story and her dedication to lifelong learning. “I didn’t even know how to attach something to an email when I started,” she says. “But I dove in, and now I’m a lifelong learner. Teaching has given me purpose, and I’m so grateful for the journey that brought me here.”