Longview woman gets 2nd chance at becoming a teacher

After a high school guidance counselor asked her why she would aim for such a low-paying job that required so much school, she tried a few other paths like business and medicine before giving up on college entirely. 

"When someone in the school field is telling me that, I was like, 'Oh, they must be right,'" Marcil said. 

Now, 20 years later, she's giving her dream another shot and working toward a bachelor's degree in education at Lower Columbia College with hopes of becoming a teacher or even opening her own school in the future. 

Thanks to scholarships, like the Student Success Fund, supported by the LCC Foundation and The Daily News' Students in Need fundraising drive, the mother of two aims to ensure other students never give up on their dreams. 

Educational struggles

Marcil was set to graduate from Mark Morris High School in 2003, but moving back and forth between Washington and California caused issues with the credits she needed.

She asked her mother to homeschool her for a semester and over the summer so she could catch up, but found out during her senior year that those courses didn't count correctly either, meaning she would need an extra year of school. Rather than take the extra classes, she dropped out. 

"I guess at that time, I felt like if I couldn't walk with my (graduating) class, what was the point?" she said. 

She went on to earn a high school diploma from LCC, where her father worked, in 2005. Over the years, she tried taking a few college courses there as well, but was never able to find something she could commit to. 

"With my life at that time, I didn't know what I was doing," said the now 40-year-old. "Anytime something that seemed better to do than go to class came around, I would do it. I just didn't really take it too seriously."

During this time, Marcil met her husband, and they had two daughters together. When her oldest started preschool at Smart Start Early Learning Center in Longview, Marcil got the opportunity to volunteer in her classroom, and it reminded her of her passion for education.

"That kind of sparked the whole 'oh, this is what I wanted to do forever and I still love it' idea," she said. 

Financial aid

Like many students, Marcil relied on financial aid to attend college. She received a Pell Grant and the Washington College Grant, as well as a scholarship from the LCC Foundation.

"It was the factor," she said. "If I wasn't going to get financial aid, I would never have started school." 

She did not have to take out any student loans during the three years she worked on her associate's degree, and is now taking some for the first time, she said. 

LCC offers a number of financial aid options for students, including the Student Success Fund, which provides emergency assistance that can be used for a variety of purposes outside of paying for tuition. 

The Student Success Fund is supported by the LCC Foundation and The Daily News' Students in Need fundraising drive, which kicks off Tuesday.

Marcil said she used money from the fund to pay for books for school, as well as gas to attend class. 

The drive, now in its 10th year, will run through June and aims to raise $35,000. Last year, it raised just under $29,000.

LCC Foundation Vice President Kendra Sprague said the drive has raised a total of $321,921 over its nine years.

"We know, based upon the data, that these emergency awards are undoubtedly helping students complete their education," Sprague wrote in an email. "When one student completes their degree, it has a lasting impact on their entire family and our community."

Marcil said the benefits from her scholarship went beyond simply allowing her to afford her classes.

"It has opened doors for me," she said. "I've made amazing connections through just that part of it. Those scholarships have been a lot more meaningful than what a dollar amount can do." 

Rediscovering a passion

Marcil started taking online classes through LCC in 2021 and earned an associate's degree in early childhood education. Now, she's in the first year of her bachelor's program. 

Her dream is to open her own fully outdoor school where students would learn life skills while surrounded by nature, but she is also considering the option of becoming a teacher.

Marcil currently works part time at Smart Start Early Learning Center, where she teaches 2- and 3-year-olds. As part of her coursework, she also assists in a second grade classroom at Longview's Robert Gray Elementary School. 

She said she preferred the idea of being a preschool teacher when she first started her degree because she was worried older children and teens would be judgmental.

"(Preschoolers) are never going to hate you," she said. "They love you all the time."

During her time at LCC, however, her confidence in her own skills has grown, and she is now interested in teaching higher grades as well. 

"Where I'm at now, I feel like the sky's the limit," she said. "I want to make the biggest positive impact that I possibly can on children's lives. I feel like I was failed in school, and now I don't want any child to fail."

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