Every day, substitute teachers step into unfamiliar schools, facing new students, new courses and new challenges. But, behind the lanyards and lesson plans are lives shaped by experiences beyond the school bell: stories of career changes, personal passions and life lessons that led them back to the classroom.
Jeffrey Hutchinson, who has just started his first part-time substitute position at McCallum, grew up in Los Angeles, California. In the middle of a big city with a father working as a police officer, in the midst of Hollywood, Hutchinson had what he considers a stereotypical big-city childhood.
After attending Catholic school for 12 years, Hutchinson entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a bachelor of science in Chemistry. He remembered watching the annual Army-Navy football game between the military academies and recalled believing that it was a bunch of Army people fighting Navy people. However, he decided that ultimately, the academy was an efficient way to get a college education while serving in the military simultaneously.
In the Army, Hutchinson served across the world as a Colonel for 25 years, in New York, San Francisco, Hawaii, Germany, San Antonio and Washington, D.C., as well as being deployed in Iraq for 14 months. Hutchinson received the Medical Leadership Award in 2012 and retired from the Army in 2018.
Hutchinson also graduated from the University of California in San Francisco with a medical degree, which took him to Austin to work as a pediatric adolescent medicine specialist at People’s Community Clinic and to found The Wade Alliance, a DEI-based consulting organization. These things tied into Hutchinson’s affinity for working with kids, but he often felt trapped and wanted to offer support in more ways than one. This is what led him to his first substitute job at McCallum.
“My other job as a physician, I got frustrated not being able to help young people in all the ways that they need help,” Hutchinson said. “I thought school was a great way to get exposure and to be around young people in a more personal way and a way without them being ill.”
Hutchinson explained that substituting turned out to be exactly what he was looking for.
“It is a chance to see the many different faces of young people, see them in their element and be of help when help is needed,” Hutchinson said. “Substituting is a way to give back to the community, it is a way to see kids, young people, in an environment you may not get to see in any other place.”
Outside of his professional life, Hutchinson has three sons aged 22, 25 and 28 living across the U.S. and a wife who graduated from UT. In the next couple of years, Hutchison hopes to move out of Texas and move on to his next adventure, but for now, he is enjoying making the most of 2025.
“2025 has been my year of trying things I have never tried before,” Hutchinson said. “So, I’ve done things like glassblowing, deprivation tanks and acupuncture.”
In doing this, Hutchinson has learned to always step up to something with the mindset of growth and be willing to adjust one’s beliefs.
“The most powerful phrase is ‘I could be wrong,’” Hutchinson said. “Every high schooler, every person, should always approach things knowing that they don’t know everything and that they could be wrong and can learn.”
Another substitute, drawn not just to the work but to the people it brings together, is Mary Katherine Rinche Ochoa. Rockport, Ochoa’s childhood home, is a small Texas town of around 11,000 people. It wasn’t big enough for her dreams or even her birth. Ochoa was born in the closest city with a hospital at the time, Corpus Christi, Texas.
Ochoa always sang. She always danced. At three years old, Ochoa began her passion, dabbling in tap, jazz and ballet, along with singing in her school choir through her hometown’s Catholic school, then through public school after transferring after 5th grade. After high school, there wasn’t much left for Ochoa.
“Small town life, everybody knows everybody,” Ochoa said. “Too much drama in a small town. I always said it’s ‘the retirement village of Texas.’ There was nothing for me to do there. When I was 23, I moved to Austin, and I’ve been here ever since.”
Leaving for Austin was a big decision, filled with uncertainty and fear of the unknown. But deep down, Ochoa knew that staying in Rockport meant risking never realizing her dreams. Austin was appealing for its opportunities and education. It was a place that promised growth and the chance to pursue her longstanding interests. Ochoa had always been passionate about the arts, and her experiences in dance and choir as a child pushed her to blend arts with her love of education. She decided to continue her schooling at ACC and Texas State, getting her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance along with a teacher certification. While at Texas State in 2008, Ochoa completed her student teaching at McCallum, and now she has circled back as a substitute.
After many jobs ranging from waiting and hostessing to get through college, to shipping DVDs, CDs, cassette tapes and VHS tapes, to working in admin at the Austin Waldorf School, Ochoa began working as a substitute part-time at McCallum, LASA, and for one year, Small Middle School trying to balance being a mom at home and to be close to her three daughters.
Ochoa’s eldest daughters attend McCallum and LASA, and her youngest daughter is a 3rd grader. Subbing offered Ochoa a way to stay close to her family and the community, while still having time to show up for her family when needed. It has also allowed her to get to know so many people who all inspire her to be grateful and happy in life.
“I have met other subs around, just by talking, and it’s so interesting to see the different walks of life that they come from and talk to them about the different schools in AISD and where they’ve been,” Ochoa said. “I feel like it’s good to know that these subs come from so many different, talented backgrounds and have so many different aspirations. I feel like a lot of them are very passionate about being here, especially MAC subs, because they are here fighting for those jobs every day.”
Ochoa’s love of people leads her to believe that being around others offers valuable lessons, while also helping you stay true to your values.
“My lesson is: put yourself first,” Ochoa said. “Make sure that you get your education and live out your dreams before you settle down into whatever it is you think that you want, a family or a place. Put yourself first, find your path and fight for it.”
Ochoa dreams of moving out of Austin and finding a place near freshwater with her youngest daughter once her eldest two have graduated. She dreams of being a brand representative at a local company, and just talking to people, learning their stories and hopes.
“I don’t know where that is; it’s kind of in my imagination, but I’m manifesting it and doing some research,” Ochoa said.
Also born in Corpus Christi is Emily Munroe, who currently subs for a range of AISD high schools and lives with her two younger sisters and two dogs. Munroe left Corpus Christi after graduating high school to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Advertising, which took her to Los Angeles, California, for her first job as a digital marketer at a startup firm. She then began a new job as a marketing manager a couple of years later. After moving back to Austin, a place that felt like coming home, with her then-boyfriend, Munroe got a job as a substitute teacher.
“I started subbing because I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do,” Munroe said. “I know I like working with people. My mom subs in my hometown, and she encouraged me to apply to be a sub. It turns out, I actually love it. It’s so fun. All the kids are so sweet. It’s very fulfilling work, and it always makes me feel good when I put a smile on kids’ faces.”
Munroe commented that she feels very connected to her work because of the students. She acknowledged that her understanding and liking of people in general allows her to easily communicate and connect with high schoolers, something that she believes deters others from the job.
“For some people, it can be intimidating working with kids and with teens, but just talk to them like adults,” Munroe said. “They know what they’re doing and they’re smart.”
Munroe recalled that her first day subbing at McCallum was for Ashley Friedman on March 12, 2025, when McCallum went into a secure hold for two hours after a threat was called in. It was a pretty tragic experience, but it bonded her with a lot of the students and the school.
“It was so crazy with the dogs walking around, and all I could think was ‘everybody get away from the windows,’” Munroe said. “That was very memorable for sure.”
In five years, Munroe hopes for continued happiness. She doesn’t want a bunch of money or a set plan; all she dreams of is a stable and reliable family and friends that bring her joy.
“[In five years]I hope the world is in a better place,” Munroe said. “I don’t really care where I end up, in terms of goals in career or money, I just want to be happy.”
Munroe understands that you should live in the moment, do things that make you happy, even when it’s a big, unexpected leap, and always search for knowledge because there is always more than what meets the eye.
“Take everything you hear with a grain of salt,” Munroe said. “Anytime you read something online or somebody tells you something, just always double-check. Get a different perspective. Don’t ever just take something black and white; usually, there is a grey area or nuance with everything. And always find a silver lining in something. There is always something good; just try to hold on to that. Don’t lose yourself to all the bad.”
