When Judith Navarro enrolled in the Nevada Forward™ Undergraduate Apprenticeship Program (UAP), she thought she was taking one last chance on a dream she had nearly given up.  She’d always wanted to become a teacher. She worked in schools throughout Southern California as a teacher assistant, playground supervisor, and special education instructional aide. Outside of work, she volunteered for years teaching religious education, eventually becoming a youth director at her church.  But she put college on hold to raise her three sons. She eventually returned to the College of Southern Nevada, taking courses while working full time for the Clark County School District  where she spent years working in school offices. Her experience gave her a deep understanding of education from multiple perspectives and reinforced the calling she had felt since she was young.

For Las Vegas native Mardeane Gaston, becoming a teacher wasn’t a sudden decision—it was a lifelong calling, shaped by decades of experience, perseverance, and an unwavering love for children.  Now in her second year as a licensed pre-K teacher, Mardeane brings more than 35 years of experience in the school district to her classroom. She began her career working in support roles, including food service, before realizing that her passion for working directly with children could become something more.  Her path to teaching, however, was anything but linear.