For Ben Eldridge, the third time’s a charm.

Eldridge, a graduate student from Fayetteville, just wasn’t satisfied with his first two career goals. The pre-dentistry path didn’t feel right, and the job at the Georgia Aquarium wasn’t cutting it either.

But Eldridge is convinced he’s finally on the right track. He’s made up his mind. He knows he wants to become a high school biology teacher.

“I did a lot of hopping around from career to career,” Eldridge said. “I finally have found the one that I want to do.”

According to Steve Oliver, associate department head in science education, it usually takes a little career switching before students are able to settle on a science education major.

“I think it’s exceedingly rare for someone to come to college thinking they want to be a science teacher,” Oliver said. “You have to mature to a certain level, and you have to get some experience out in the world to consider teaching a viable career option.”

He said many of the students now pursuing a degree in science education came to the University thinking about dental school, medical school or veterinary school.

“And for whatever reason – usually not academic reasons – but for other reasons, they decide that’s not the route they want to pursue,” Oliver said.

But the field of science education still needs more people to make the switch.

David Jackson, associate professor and graduate coordinator for science education, described the field as a “high need area.”

“It’s harder to get good science teachers than it is to get good – fill in the blank – English teachers, social studies teachers, et cetera,” Jackson said.

The College of Education works to increase the number of science teachers it certifies by sending representatives to career fairs, advertising on its Web site and distributing brochures.

“We would very much like to have more students,” Oliver said. “We would like to prepare more teachers.”

Thirty to 40 students receive science education certifications each year on the University’s main campus, Oliver said.

“That makes us one of the biggest programs in the country,” he said. “There is a universal problem in the United States of attracting people to teaching.”

Oliver cited the lack of prestige surrounding the profession as one reason for the shortage.

But for Eldridge, a student teacher at Madison County High School, the reward comes from somewhere else – he said he finds it in seeing students ask questions and become engaged in the learning process.

He told the story of one student who was failing and unmotivated but received a confidence boost when she got a good grade on an assignment.

“And now she’s one of my best students,” Eldridge said.

“I’m doing so much work, but it’s fun work,” he said. “I definitely made the right choice.”