Husband and Wife Take Career Change into Teaching

Paula and Justin Bechaver were looking for career changes. Both had earned undergraduate degrees in fields they were no longer passionate about and wanted to try something new. When Paula decided to apply to Drexel University’s online MS in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, Justin figured, why not do the same?

“The initial plan was just for me to do it, and once I started speaking with Drexel he came to me and said, ‘Is this crazy? Should we just do this together?’” said Paula. “I don’t know that I would have gotten through it without him."

Paula and Justin graduated together in 2016 and moved to Tennessee, where they’re beginning their teaching careers in the same town.

Justin isn’t the only one who followed a family member to Drexel. Building a Dragon legacy within the family is par for the course. Dawn Konrady, a graduate of Drexel’s EdD in Educational Leadership and Management, was familiar with Drexel after her younger brother attended. A member of her cohort, Michael Reed, actually applied to the EdD program after his wife completed it. 

Then there’s Laurie and Lang Ryan, a mother-daughter team in Lewes, Delaware attending Drexel together. 

Laurie, an online BS in Communication student, began attending Drexel through a partnership with her employer, Beebe Healthcare. Lang was attending classes elsewhere and wasn’t happy with the education she was getting. “I finally just said to her, ‘Lang you've got to stop messing around here. Start going to a good school. Apply at Drexel,’” Laurie said.

Lang is currently an online BS in Business Administration student, and is proud to be a Dragon alongside her mom.

“I wanted to go to Drexel because my mom had talked so much about it, and it made me feel like, ‘Yeah, I want to go there too!’”