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“Wait, we’re really retired?”
What’s next for Dr. Jay Pearce and Melette Pearce now that retirement is finally here?
In Dr. Pearce’s own words: “I plan to sleep in, read books I *want* to read, travel a bit, turn off the news because I’m no longer expected to know what’s going on … and wait for it to sink in that I’m really retired.”
After years of shaping minds and modeling integrity in the classroom, the Pearces are officially closing their grade books for the last time. With a career built on service, sincerity and a sharp sense of humor, they now step into a new season with a mix of anticipation, curiosity and gratitude.
Gone are the days of early alarms, grading deadlines and department meetings. Retirement brings a different rhythm – one that the Pearces are more than ready to explore.
Some ways that the Pearces have prepared for retirement include selling their condo, downsizing their belongings, reducing expenses, and renewing their passports to prepare for new adventures and travel.
“I actually surprised myself with the decision to retire, but once that decision was made, we started budgeting more carefully, renewed our passports, and I’ve started purging ‘stuff’ that’s just been sitting around,” Melette Pearce said.
Though the Pearces don’t have a lot of advice for preparing for retirement, one piece of advice they can give is to start budgeting and building your nest now and to carefully consider medical costs and health care options.
“In the U.S., health care is a booming business as opposed to a human right,” Melette Pearce said.
“Other than that, we’ll have to get back to you once we’ve been retired for a while to see what we did and didn’t think about ahead of time,” she said.
As the Pearces prepare for retirement, they also must face the fact that they are going to miss teaching. Both loved their students and are going to miss them a lot.
“My favorite part of my job was the students,” Dr. Pearce said.
“If the students aren’t your favorite part of your job, why are you a teacher?” he said. “I will miss interacting with them and the joy of seeing the lightbulb switch on when they suddenly grasp a concept.
“Those moments are a personal treasure.”
Another thing that the Pearces must face is that they are no longer professors; they are now taking on new identities.
“Quite honestly, I have defined myself as Professor Pearce for most of my working life. I don’t know quite who I am or perhaps better, who I will define myself as in the future,” Dr. Pearce said.
“I’m fairly certain it won’t be as ‘Dr. Pearce’ once I leave BHC. That’s not bad, but it is a big cup of uncertainty,” he added.
Dr. Pearce also wishes that he could have shared some advice with his younger self.
“If I could go back to my first day on this job, the advice I would give myself is dude, RELAX!” he said.
Although he had already taught for 10 years at the Dallas County Community College District across three different campuses, he wasn’t concerned about the subject matter or his teaching abilities.
“However, the culture in the Midwest was very different from what I was used to, and even though I had built connections in Dallas, I didn’t know anyone up here,” he said.
“We had just moved a thousand miles away from all our friends and family. As I walked through the halls, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Is this where I will spend my life and work until I retire?”
Now, the Pearces are excited for retirement and can’t wait to travel.
“We’re taking an oceanliner to Europe this fall because we no longer have to worry about a limited amount of time before we have to get back to work,” Dr. Pearce said. “I know that in my head, but my heart hasn’t yet registered it.”
Melette Pearce is looking forward to fun adventures and travels ahead.
And no more grading!
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