Our Journey
2007
I want…
In 1996, Cal Jordan Powers, the founder of Professionall, was born in Baytown, Texas to a middle school math teacher and an architect. Practically growing up in a school building, Cal saw first-hand the rewards and burdens of being dedicated to working in the education profession. As a young child, Cal found a calling in helping teachers organize and their classrooms, storage closets, and even their homes. It was in 2007 that Cal realized:
“I want to be a teacher just like my mom.”
2015
I wish…
In 2015, Cal was studying French and Spanish at the University of North Texas (UNT) with the intention of becoming a university professor of French after graduating. While studying at UNT, Cal conducted a research study focusing on the use of mobile applications for learning languages and had the thought:
“I wish there were a social media platform just for teachers.”
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2019
I realize…
In fall 2019, Cal enrolled in the Master’s program of Teaching Foreign Language and Program Administration at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) in California. While studying world language pedagogy, conducting research, and instructing graduate-level French, Cal thought:
“I realize that teacher education is my passion.”
2020
What if…
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the field of education was severely impacted, leaving Cal’s vision of the path ahead completely altered. In Summer of 2020, Cal was quarantining in Monterey between semesters at MIIS wanting to make the most of the mandatory downtime. Cal spearheaded an impromptu virtual professional learning group with some classmates and thought:
“What if teachers could easily access and organize all resources for their professional development on one platform?”
2024
We must…
While working full-time as a world language educator and researcher, Cal moonlit building a business plan, developing strategies, conducting market research, and drawing up preliminary designs. Though many details have changed throughout this process, one driving thought has remained the same:
“We must unify the education profession to be prepared for the future.”
…
We need…
There is a lot of work to be done before this dream becomes a reality. We are currently at the stage where we need the support of educators in order to progress toward building this professional ecosystem. Please consider contributing to our mission in whatever way you can.
