Standby... I'm Going Back to School!
By Special Guest Author
Erica Nageldinger
Emergency Telecommunicator, Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority
Summer 2026 is coming to an end, and everyone is trying to soak up those last moments before the dreaded “S” word starts. Parents are sneaking in one last trip to the beach or letting their kids have one last sleepover before they have to fall into the school year routine again. I remember those times all too well, but last year I officially joined the “all my kids have graduated high school” club. As we are transitioning into fall, it has me reflecting on where I was last year and remembering everything that has led me to my current situation.
When the Kids Leave
My son’s last year of high school was bittersweet; it flew by way too fast, and before I knew it, I was standing next to my son, wiping tears away as he showed me his high school diploma. That summer, he started working and applied to college, and I had to begin to adjust to a new phase of life. At first, it was a bit of a lonely time. I felt lost. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do when I didn’t have any kids at home during the day to take swimming, or to a movie, or on an afternoon bike ride. Anyone that has been through this phase knows that it is an adjustment period, to say the least.
Summer rolled along, and as I started thinking about how I didn’t even know when the first day of school was that fall. I suddenly felt liberated. I was relieved that, for the first time in 21 years, I wasn’t going to be tied down to a school calendar. I was free to do whatever I wanted. I could travel. I could spend as much time in the gym working out as I wanted. I could read all day long without any interruptions, and the list of possibilities kept growing. Aside from my full-time job as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, I was free! I was free to do anything I wanted.
And then it hit me: I wanted to go back to school.
The Decision
The decision came about quite suddenly, and I acted on it as quickly as possible before I had a chance to talk myself out of it, as I had been doing for the past 24 years. I always told myself that I would go back and finish a college degree “once all my kids were in school.” Then it turned into “when I didn’t work night shift anymore.” Then the one that bought me the most time: “once all of my kids are out of school.”
Sitting there with my newly graduated son, who was trying to decide what path he wanted to take in life, it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is what I want to do. This is my next phase of motherhood. I wanted to still be an example to my kids, even as young adults. I wanted to show them that it is never too late to accomplish anything that you put your mind to. I wanted to show my youngest son that he could do this, and I was going to do it right next to him.
So, we both walked into the college admissions office together and registered for Fall 2025 the same afternoon.
The next several weeks were filled with anticipation and secretly wondering if I was really going to be able to pull this off. My son and I went “back to school” shopping together, and I excitedly bought myself new binders, pens, and notebooks, and felt like I was in high school all over again. I was eager to get started and so excited that I finally decided to finish what I had started decades prior.
The stipulation to going back to school was that I had to be able to accomplish it 100% online, as my rotating work schedule would make it impossible to attend in-person classes. I was in luck, the degree I was going to pursue was available fully online, and it felt like everything was aligning perfectly.
I knew this was going to be a challenge, as, like I said, I currently work full-time as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Like most other centers around the country, when I say I work full-time, that’s not just your standard 80 hours per pay period. When I started classes, we were smack dab in the middle of a staffing crisis, and it was common to have at least 30 hours of overtime on every paycheck. I knew this was going to be hard, but I knew it was something I needed to do for myself, and that I would find a way to make it work.
How Do I Make It Work?
I learned very fast that I needed to plan ahead. I needed to figure out some time management, and I needed to figure it out fast. The first couple of weeks were a bit overwhelming because I didn’t know what to expect as far as how long it would take me to read a chapter in the book or how long it would take me to complete my other assignments that were due throughout the week.
I will give this piece of advice to anyone who decides to do this: Give yourself a few weeks to get used to everything. It will more than likely feel very overwhelming at first, but once you have a good understanding of how much time you will need to dedicate to completing your work each week, it makes it much easier to plan.
One benefit of online schooling is that, most of the time, they give you the opportunity to work ahead. As a dispatcher, a lot of us never know when we may have to work on a day off because of a call-off or due to some other unforeseen circumstance. So, for me, getting ahead a week or two when I was able to helped me not be so stressed or in a bad spot if I suddenly found myself working a 14-hour shift or getting called in on a day off.
Finding Balance
One of the most important things for me has been having an amazing support system from day one. I have the best and most supportive family and friends who have been there from the beginning, pushing me through the moments when I was questioning if I really had it in me to keep going. I have also been infinitely blessed with the most amazing and supportive coworkers, so being able to share my experience with them and having them offer me encouragement, especially on some of the harder days, was a huge motivator to help keep me going.
The last, and what I think is the most important, thing that has carried me through is intentionally setting time aside on my days off work where school does not even have to be a thought that crosses my mind. When I first started, I would try to go do something fun with my family, but school was always in the back of my mind. I felt like I was never fully enjoying my “free time” because my mind wasn’t free.
I needed to learn to trust myself with my pre-planning and working ahead, and I needed time to shut it off. I needed to make sure I was finding time to enjoy life. This experience wasn’t meant to create chaos and upset my life; it was meant to enrich my life and I wanted to make sure I was creating moments to do the things I love.
Why I'm Doing This
Many people have asked me, “Are you doing this so that you can leave 9-1-1?”
My answer: “No. I have no intentions of leaving 9-1-1 anytime in the foreseeable future.”
I love 9-1-1. I love what we do. I want to continue to grow both personally and professionally, and this is just a part of my journey to do that. I’m not sure how my college degree will tie into my career as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, but I can tell you that the confidence I have gained from putting myself out there and doing something to challenge myself has made this journey worthwhile.
And maybe that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned through all of this: it’s never too late to do something you’ve always wanted to do. If you’ve been thinking about going back to school, chasing a dream, or simply challenging yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone, don’t convince yourself that you’ve missed your chance. You haven’t. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Sometimes you just have to take that first step and see where it leads.
In closing, I want to share a quote that has meant so much to me over this past year:
“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”
About the Author:
Erica Nageldinger is an Emergency Telecommunicator with the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority in Calhoun County, Michigan, where she also serves as a Communications Training Officer. She is passionate about supporting the people behind the headset and helping new telecommunicators grow in their careers. Erica also enjoys community outreach as a member of her agency's Public Education Team, helping others better understand the important role of 9-1-1. Prior to entering emergency communications, she worked in the emergency department, which helped shape her appreciation for public-safety and service. Outside of work, Erica is continuing her education as a college student and enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.
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