Shenandoah Career Switchers Win Teaching Accolades

Before being named a 2026 finalist for Fairfax County Public Schools’ Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year, Jason Marsh had a 29-year career in IT financing and asset management. Loudoun County Public Schools’ 2026 Middle School New Teacher of the Year Erick Enciso worked for his family’s business in the Philippines before moving to Japan to teach English. Warren County Public Schools’ 2026 Secondary New Teacher of the Year Lucas Conner was an estimator for a water and fire mitigation company. 

What do these three men have in common, aside from high achievement at Virginia public school systems? All graduated from Shenandoah University’s Career Switcher program, which is part of a statewide program that provides people with bachelor’s degrees a fast-track path into a teaching career through synchronous online learning, an in-person practicum experience, classroom employment and professional development. 

Choosing wisely

“I chose Shenandoah’s program because I had often thought about being a teacher and needed a program that was hands-on and fit my schedule,” said Conner ’24, who teaches history at Warren County High School. “SU’s program did both and it was awesome.”

“Shenandoah’s program set me up for success in a couple of critical ways,” said Marsh ’25, a business and information technology teacher at Oakton High School, who retired from his first career with a curiosity about teaching and a love of sharing information about financial concepts. “First, Shenandoah’s high-quality instructors provided me with a structure that I could take directly into the classroom and begin using on day one. Secondly, and I believe this to be the most important, Shenandoah’s program instilled in me the importance of establishing connections with the students early in the year. I believe building relationships with the students is one of my strengths and Shenandoah’s program opened my eyes to how critical that was.”

“The program gave me the opportunity to experience what it was like to be in the classroom, as well as open doors for me in the county. I ended up getting my first teaching job in the school where I did my practicum,” said Enciso ’22, a math teacher at Watson Mountain Middle School who decided to pursue education as a career after enjoying teaching English in Japan for three years. 

The best possible move

Receiving the teaching award was a “very cool moment,” for Conner. “Being honored in that way was so meaningful and meant that all of my hard work paid off, especially as a Career Switcher,” he said. “Leaving one job and changing is a big step and that moment helped prove to myself that I had made the right decision.”

“Honestly, I was very shocked to have been awarded as LCPS’ Middle School New Teacher of the Year,” Enciso said. “I felt I was just doing what I should be doing as a teacher. It does mean a lot to me because of the efforts of my students, administrators, and coworkers who believed I was worthy of the award. As a career switcher, it definitely gave me the feeling that I’m in the right field of work.”

Enciso also feels like he made the right choice in selecting the Shenandoah University Career Switcher program. “I would 100% recommend the program to anyone who wants to be a teacher. The program not only prepares you for the classroom experience, it also gets you ready for interviews and builds connections in the education world. It’s also the fastest way to get you into the classroom, if you’re in a hurry.”