Polk State Education grad finds ‘home’ where she interned at Chain of Lakes Elementary

Returning to school after nearly a decade with a family and a full-time job can be scary. Kimberly McBride added that the scariest part is wondering whether one will achieve their career goals after graduation.

“You don’t feel like that going to Polk State College,” said McBride, who graduated in May with her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. That same month, she was hired as a first-grade teacher at Chain of Lakes Elementary School. “I’m a new teacher, but I don’t feel like fresh meat. I feel prepared for what I’m doing and that is thanks to Polk State.”

McBride is a Winter Haven native from a middle-class family whose parents worked two jobs for most of her life.

“I couldn’t afford college, so I went into banking straight out of high school,” she explained. “It just wasn’t where my passion was, so I looked into Polk State because it was in my backyard. It was the greatest choice as far as price goes, and I would be able to take care of my two kids, work, and go to school.”

She enrolled in the Associate in Arts program in 2016, “to get my foot in the door and to make sure I could handle it.” That year, Polk State launched its Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education Program, which piqued McBride’s interest.

“With a background in banking and being older, I felt out of my element, but my professors were always encouraging and told me that I could do this,” McBride said. “They saw my potential, nurtured that, and supported me in being successful.”

When she entered the Polk State Education Program in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced campuses to close and classes to go online.

“Our professors still drove all the competencies home for us and ensured that we were prepared when we entered the classroom,” McBride said.

The baccalaureate program is completed with an internship within a Polk County Public School. McBride interned at Chain of Lakes Elementary, where she quickly felt at home.

“Real-world, hands-on learning is something that everyone should experience. It is challenging, but it is so valuable,” she said. “When I stepped out of graduation and into the classroom, it felt like nothing had changed at all. I was prepared thanks to all I had learned at Polk State and through the partnership at Chain of Lakes Elementary.”

If an inkling of fear still existed in McBride’s mind about employment after graduation, it was quickly dispelled.

“When I stepped out of graduation and into the classroom, it felt like nothing had changed at all. I was prepared thanks to all I had learned at Polk State and through the partnership at Chain of Lakes Elementary.”

While she was interning, administrators at Chain of Lakes Elementary were already asking McBride when she was graduating and if she would teach at the school.

“The day I graduated, I put in my application,” McBride said. “I graduated in May, and I signed my contract in May.”

She credits her preparedness with the strong partnership between Polk State and Polk County Public Schools. Polk State has built-in measurements for state-mandated standards that were developed in collaboration with Polk County Public Schools – Polk County’s largest employer – to create graduates who are ready to immediately and successfully lead classrooms.

Polk State is also the only public post-secondary institution in Polk County offering state-approved teacher education preparation programs. Both the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education integrate English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); Exceptional Student Education (ESE); and Reading K-12 Endorsement competencies into the course curricula. This customized, standards-based approach is designed to provide graduates with a competitive edge in employment.

Graduates from Polk State’s Education baccalaureate programs are employed in 30 Polk County Public Schools, as well as in Lake Wales Charter Schools, various charter and private schools, and across the state of Florida.

“I knew that when I came to Polk State, I would have the opportunity to have an impact at the local level, and that was important to me,” McBride said. “Anyone thinking about going into education and going to Polk State – do it. I feel confident about what I’m doing, and I feel at home.”