[Kayla Buell – Ambassador]

I definitely got lucky early on in my career as my first employer (spent 6 years there) had a very good retirement package that matched a very good percentage of whatever I put in. It helped me get the ball rolling before the age of 30, which meant that compared to most people my age, I’m doing pretty well. Certainly a factor I’d consider the next time I’m looking for a new job.

[Stacey Daprile – Ambassador]

I unfortunately chose my career position based on lifestyle first. Meaning I spent 15 years teaching at a private school because my own children attended this school.The school was a wonderful place to teach and for my children to learn. Having the same schedule and being at the same school made working and parenting easier to balance. But private schools pay comparably lower and are not part of the state which provides excellent retirement benefits for teachers. I wasn’t until my divorce that I needed to leave this teaching position because I had to make more money.

Now that I am a public school teacher I am part of the state retirement program. However, those 15 years of service will not count towards my retirement package, and therefore its a moot point at this stage in my career.

I was counseled by my master teacher to forgo the private school route and go straight to public. She had started in a local private school as well and said that in the end – the retirement benefits and financial benefits where the way to go. I didn’t listen to her.

On the other hand, my children had an excellent education and we had many years together at school.