A journey from sirens to school bells
Janice Ball will graduate from San Jacinto College in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in education with an emphasis in early childhood education. The former police officer turned paraprofessional found her true passion in the classroom, particularly helping students who have special needs.
Ball gave up her badge after eight years to support her husband’s career with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which required frequent relocation. The couple have called many places home since leaving their hometown in Washington, D.C., including Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and Maryland.
It was in Maryland, while raising their two children, that Ball found a way to work and be home with her kids. She obtained the required licensure and opened an in-home day care. Aiming to stand out from other day cares, she took a more creative approach, introducing the kids to experiences outside the classroom. Her program included zoo trips, horseback riding, and parent date nights, all of which sparked her love for education.
Move to Houston secured the deal
When the family moved to Houston 18 years ago, Ball transitioned to working in schools, spending the last 13 years as a paraprofessional in Humble Independent School District. Her work has focused on special education, her passion.
I’ve always loved working with special needs kids. In special education, you expect challenges, but I’ve seen many of the same issues in general education classrooms. That’s when I knew this is what I’m meant to do.
Ball’s son was having difficulty remembering things like whether he had homework and what he did at school. His teacher noticed and advised her to have him tested for seizures, even suggesting a specific facility. This teacher’s concern and advice changed Ball’s and her son’s lives. With a new diagnosis, her son got the help he needed, and the experience inspired Ball to pursue teaching.
“That experience made me want to advocate for children,” she said.
San Jac and the future
Ball initially chose the College for its proximity to home, but it would soon become a home away from home. She has already earned a certificate of technology and an Associate of Applied Science in child development/early childhood education.
Ball appreciates the Bachelor of Applied Science program’s supportive environment most of all. She praises the program’s structure and her professors who “genuinely care about students’ success and provide constructive feedback, which makes it feel like a family.”
With her graduation approaching, Ball has a teaching job lined up for next year, working with either first grade or kindergarten students. Her long-term goal is to become a full-time special education teacher.
Currently, Ball works in an applied skills classroom with students from kindergarten through fifth grade, each with unique needs and diagnoses. She values the opportunity to teach on multiple levels, which she finds challenging but rewarding.
One particular moment proved she had made the right decision.
“While at my daughter’s basketball game, I ran into a former student I had in elementary school, all grown up now, and she told me, ‘You taught me how to read!’ That brought me to tears, and that is when I knew I was right where I belong,” she said.
Ball values honesty in education.
“There’s a lot of room for improvement in the classroom,” she said. “I notice that teachers are afraid to speak to parents in fear of legalities or being told they can’t say this or that, but I can’t tell you your kid had a great day if they didn’t. It’s important to be upfront.”
Ball is excited about the future, and it is important to her that her students know they are loved and respected.
“I don’t know what God has in store for me, but I have to make a difference,” she said.
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About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than 1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately 45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s.
