“Teaching is Not an Island”: Aparna Ganapathy’s Teaching Journey from India to the U.S. 

For Aparna Ganapathy, teaching is a family affair. Born and raised in South India, Ganapathy grew up around a family of educators, including her grandmother, so it was only a matter of time until she started plotting her own career path in the profession. 

“Somehow along the way, teachers impacted me — positively so,” Ganapathy said. “I knew early on I wanted to be a teacher, and language was something very interesting to me, as well.” 

Combining those two interests, Ganapathy completed a bachelor’s degree in education focused on the ancient Indian language Sanskrit as a pathway to be able to teach it in schools, then added a master’s degree in the language along with a master’s in psychology to her credentials, as well. 

Ganapathy found a job where she was able to teach Sanskrit in several schools while also teaching English classes as a secondary subject. Very happy with her education and with the responsibility of shaping young minds, she was on a long-term career path — but life had other plans, and in 2010, she moved to the U.S. for family reasons. 

A New Home, A New Chance to Teach

When she arrived in Maryland, Ganapathy began researching opportunities to get back into the classroom, knowing that’s where she belonged. She quickly realized, though, that the U.S. education system had different requirements than she was used to. 

“In India, it works differently in the sense that once you get a bachelor’s in education, you are set for life and it depends on the individual schools where you’re employed, where there might be professional development opportunities, but there’s nothing like a license structure there,” Ganapathy explained, “so it’s just like you’re qualified to teach as long as you have the bachelor’s or master’s in education.” 

Wanting to stay in the same city as her husband, Ganapathy looked into local options to become a certified teacher and found programs with costs around $20,000. That sticker price wasn’t feasible, so Ganapathy chose to pause her education career and explored other professions, trying roles like front office assistant and spending time volunteering at a library to get a glimpse of the reality of working in those fields. Ultimately, though, those job prospects weren’t fulfilling. 

“It almost seemed like I needed the school bell to keep me going,” Ganapathy remembered. 

A Pathway Back to Teaching with Moreland University

Ganapathy had moved to Northern Virginia and was actively searching for a way to return to the classroom when she started working at an early education center with preschool-age children. 

“I was so happy that I was with those students once more, and I was in that role of being an educator,” Ganapathy said with a smile. 

Still searching for a way to eventually return to a K-12 environment — and still trying to understand the intricacies and requirements of the U.S. teacher certification process — Ganapathy kept coming to the same conclusion. 

“Every single time I explored this opportunity, it seemed like I should go to school in the U.S.,” she reflected, “which, if I want to get a master’s, it’s going to be expensive and time-consuming over several years.” 

But near the end of 2017, another pathway forward appeared when Ganapathy heard about Moreland University. 

With a tuition under $7,000 for the TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program, the cost was much more reasonable than the alternatives that Ganapathy had found in Maryland. Plus, the option of completing TEACH-NOW in just 9 months rather than taking several years to complete a new degree would help Ganapathy return to calling in a much shorter amount of time. 

She immediately started talking to people to make arrangements to enroll, including Moreland’s admissions team. The more she learned about the program, the more interested she became. 

“I was really convinced,” Ganapathy said. “What I really liked about the program was it [would] give me a hands-on experience in the field for 200 hours. It was just intense, which I needed.” 

Ganapathy reasoned that the hands-on learning experience of student teaching would immerse her in the American classroom environment and help her understand the cultural differences between teaching and learning in India and in the U.S. so that she could give her students the best education possible. 

Another aspect of the certification program that appealed to Ganapathy was the 100% online format. Knowing that she was disciplined and dedicated, she felt ready to complete the coursework from the comfort of her own home. 

“Nothing else was stopping me, and thanks to the encouragement I got from my family, I jumped in,” she recalled with joy. 

Overcoming Challenges and Embracing New Opportunities

Adjusting to a new learning environment came with its own set of unique challenges. Moreland’s programs encourage collaboration, and Ganapathy found herself working with a global cohort of peers from various time zones — none of whom lived in the U.S. 

Initially, she wondered how she would coordinate with classmates halfway across the world. However, she quickly realized that this international perspective was one of the program’s biggest strengths, and she would appreciate it even more in the years to come. 

“Fast forward to your COVID pandemic era [and] I was so ready for this,” Ganapathy enthused. “Teaching is not an island. We need to collaborate; we need to know what’s going on.” 

Looking back, Ganapathy sees meeting other committed educators in her cohort as an “added benefit” of Moreland’s programs and notes the important role that the faculty played in her experience. 

“I noticed during my modules, all the instructors were very knowledgeable and they wanted to see me succeed,” Ganapathy reflected. “In this day and age, to see somebody like that, it’s very rare.” 

The Joy of Teaching ESL

Ganapathy’s perseverance paid off. After completing TEACH-NOW program and earned her teaching license, today she teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) in Virginia’s Loudoun County Public Schools, once again helping students on their language-learning journeys. 

Though she started as a Sanskrit teacher, Ganapathy’s path led her to primarily teaching English, helping students adapt to a new linguistic and cultural environment by relating her own experiences with them. 

“What I’m doing now…gives me an opportunity to connect with the kids, know more about them, help them get better acquainted to life in the U.S., and then kind of shed light on [why] language learning is always an advantage,” Ganapathy said. “It’s just like the bridge between what you want to really do, so language shouldn’t stop anyone from pursuing their passions.” 

For Ganapathy, teaching is more than just delivering lessons; it’s about providing mentorship and guidance, even to students who graduated years ago and continue to reach out to her. 

“If I can make a positive impact in their lives — and that’s what I’m looking for — that’s my long term idea,” she said. “Finishing the curriculum, helping them get fluency — all that is like a short-term goal.” 

While she notes that a Master’s in Education may be in her future, for now Ganapathy is simply enjoying being back in the classroom and hearing the school bell ring.

How Moreland Supports Virginia Teachers and Educators Worldwide

“I still recommend [TEACH-NOW] to my friends and family and my neighbors and whoever shows some interest in teaching,” Ganapathy said. “I say go for it, because nothing can be better than this.” 

Moreland provides comprehensive, no-cost resources for aspiring and current educators throughout Virginia, across the U.S., and around the world — and we’re ready to support you, too. Whether you’re ready for a 100% online 9-month TEACH-NOW Teacher Certificate Preparation Program or a 12-month master’s degree program, you can complete your free application in less than 15 minutes and take the next step in your teaching journey today.