They say most people will work seven different careers in their lifetime. So, how do you know if your specialized major will help you with seven different careers? How can you confidently go from being an athletic trainer one minute to a high school Spanish teacher the next? Ask Franklin College alumna Amy Gibson.

Amy started her Franklin career intending to be a biology major. But after finding those classes weren’t for her, she swapped biology for athletic training. Amy finally felt comfortable with her major until Spanish professor Daniel Alsop, Ph.D., threw another opportunity into her lap. For her freshman year Immersive Term experience, Alsop

“At that point, I wasn’t sure that I wanted anything to do with Spanish. And I went, fell in love with the culture, with the language and with everything. I knew that I needed to have it in my life. He knew where my heart was. I just didn’t know it yet.” – Gibson

In the end, Amy graduated from Franklin College in 2013 with degrees in athletic training and Spanish.

She attended graduate school to expand upon her athletic training education and spent a few years as an athletic trainer. The year 2020 gave her plenty of time to reflect on her life and she began to wonder if athletic training was still right for her.

“As a Division I athletic trainer, I was not having as much time for family as I would like. COVID happened and my priorities changed. I wanted to focus more on using Spanish.” – Gibson

Her revelation came at the perfect time as the high school she had attended was looking to hire a Spanish teacher. A week before school started, she was hired as Seymour High School’s newest Spanish teacher.

The transition between her professions has not always been the smoothest. Amy credits the encouragement from her old Franklin College family for helping her confidently transition between athletic trainer and Spanish teacher.

“Dan regularly checks in on me to see how I’m doing with my transition to teaching. My experience at FC gave me my circle of people, besides my family, that I want to call first with good news or who I call for advice. It not only made me well-rounded, but I met my second family, my go-to people.” – Gibson