Alandra Swan "Finding your career and living in your purpose"

31 Mag Ladies I am so excited to introduce you to this dynamic Becoming

Proverbs 31 Woman Meet Alandra Swan! She is an amazing educator who cultivates wellness throughout her school.

Alandra, Thank you so much for talking with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

So, my name is Alandra Kaliyma Swan. I love the Lord with all my heart. I love art. I enjoy gardening & anything that allows me to be outdoors and dirty with my hands. That is me. I love the idea of curling up with a good book. I am certainly a self-diagnosed introvert who absolutely loves the field that I am in, which is teaching, ironically enough has me involved with people and children every single day, morning to afternoon. I currently teach the kindergarten class at my school, Francis Patton Primary in Bermuda.

Can you share with us your journey to the career of your dreams?

I would not say it's the career of my dreams but certainly, the career that God had dreamed for me because I was certain that people interactions, social environments, and being around and engaging with people were not for me. And I believed that early in my life and in my journey, so much so that I had written myself off of working with people other than to say, I'm going to become a pediatrician and go to school to study science, which I did. I completed a bachelor's degree in science with a view that I would do that. However, I realized very quickly that that dream was not going to take place because it meant that people were indoors all day, so I thought perhaps working with animals, and certainly I did get that experience at the aquarium in Bermuda. However, over time, it seemed as if the Lord was taking me in a different direction. And it took me working as a temp for the better part of a whole year and a few months to come to a place where I needed to know something different and I pray this prayer. While at one of my temp jobs I actually wrote it down and that was Lord, I want to go to work and come home feeling like my talents, and resources have been used in the most productive way, I don't want to go home drained. I prayed that prayer not realizing that a woman by the name of Dr. Crystal Clay would inspire me to work in the area of working with children. I am currently working in a dream honestly when I consider it because the Lord helped guide this process. He showed me certain things people prophesied over me in certain areas. And now I'm here having been in education for roughly 14 years and I have not looked back since.

Was teaching something you always wanted to do?

Absolutely not. It was not even a vision in my mind. However, as a young person, I was given the opportunity to teach as a substitute Sunday school teacher, which led to me becoming a Sunday school teacher. Right up until the time that I left for college, but I never made the connection that becoming a teacher was something that was a viable option for me.

What wins and accomplishments have you encountered over the course of your career?

I would say the biggest win and accomplishment is to be able to educate and teach children in an environment that the Lord has allowed me to set up, create and cultivate with these

little pumpkins.

I think that it's probably the biggest win that someone allowed me into their space to teach children and actually do it in a way that brought about change and a positive outcome for children.

Fellowship and togetherness are also big wins for me. Another win, which I am grateful for, and didn't expect to happen is that I received the 2019 Teacher of the Year Award which came as a complete shock. I'm so grateful for that honor.

Did you encounter a lot of hurdles throughout your journey to becoming an educator?

Absolutely. I encountered many, many hurdles, and part of it was, trusting the process of where I needed to be in order for me to be where I am today. When I entered education, I was so excited I was like a sponge taking in information from great educators, great mentors, and great leaders.

Being able to sit at their feet really empowered me to want my own classroom to use all I had learned, but I needed the time to grow and mature. So one of the biggest hurdles was me, sitting patiently waiting, and growing in the season that God had me in.

Can you share with us how this journey has challenged and strengthened your faith in Christ? When I started on my journey of teaching and education I would tell you that God was still not invited to be Lord over my life as it pertained to how I worked in this

environment. I still was resting on my passion and integrity, I never allow God to actually orchestrate and conduct every single day of my education, or every single day of my working life in education. One of the challenges for me, as it relates to my faith, has been understanding that God was the one that put me here. He has the first middle and final say!

What values, declarations, and scriptures kept you from season to season?

The biggest value for me that has kept me in this season has been community.

I am the product of an intentional community.

So, being a part of my church community has really opened the door for me to be a teacher. Knowing that I need wisdom from the women and men around me mothers and fathers to help me to walk this journey has been absolutely important, especially when it comes to believing for more than just what I see in front of me. Something that I am declaring as I go from season to season is to grow where you are planted. Some of the challenges that I have experienced were simply me becoming impatient with waiting for what God has for me and the desire that I have to do everything in education and fix everything in the education system. God had to allow me to go through a process of growing so that I could be mature enough to wait on Him. Scripture-wise, I think the one that has been so prominent for me has been Psalm 37: 4, and that has been such a blessing to me, and that is Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Instagram @alandra.kaliyma

Thank you, so much for sharing your inspiring journey with us!