Near the top of the list of undisputable facts is this truth. People aren’t drawn to teaching for the money.

What is the draw then? For Yavapai College Math Instructor Andrea Schaben it’s “that feeling of watching the lightbulb come on. That feeling of having somebody really understand for the first time.”

That feeling first struck Andrea when she was studying engineering, playing basketball and tutoring at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. It seized her while coaching basketball and substitute teaching at Spring Hill College in Alabama. It has glued her to the teaching profession for 20 years -- the last four at YC.

“Teaching wasn’t what I thought I was going to do as an 18 year old. Now, 20 years later, I can tell you that I’m extremely passionate about what I do,” Andrea said.

In only her third year at YC, Andrea was a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award Winner. Before the end of her fourth year, YC students and colleagues bestowed on her the Teaching and Learning Committee’s top teaching award. She described the honor as “powerful” because it was driven by students. She said the award “will continue to push me to be better than I think I can be.”

According to her students, Andrea already stars on the instructional stage. In their nominations for the TLC award, they described her as a passionate teacher who is generous with her time, accessible and motivational. “In her book, we are rock stars and she makes sure to tell us that,” wrote one student. Another wrote, “She lifted up everyone’s mood and made the class feel like a little math family.”

Andrea owns the accessibility label, believing it key to modern-day teaching success. “I’d love to say there’s a magic formula. It really comes down to caring about people. The way you show that is to give your most precious resource --your time.”

Like many teachers, Andrea struggled initially with online teaching. She wanted badly to connect with students in a meaningful way and ensure a quality online experience. Engagement improved markedly when she started offering online office hours on weekday evenings and barraging her students with questions like, “What can I do better?” Constantly asking for feedback from students, she said, “translates to them as caring.”

Along with caring about her students and being their math “cheerleaders,” Andrea champions such student-success initiatives at YC as Open Source Educational Materials (low-cost or no-cost materials and textbooks) and Quality Matters standards for online curriculum. She also invests time studying and advocating for holistic student support services like childcare, transportation and housing. As chairman of YC’s developmental education committee, she spearheaded changes in that track and its placement system. “I’m really proud of the direction we’re going,” she said, “but there’s always more work to be done.”

Mostly, Andrea wants to be a catalyst for her students to discover, as she did, what they’re capable of, which might lead to discovering something they love and, ultimately, happiness.

“I really want to be happy and being in the classroom makes me happy,” said Andrea, adding that, as someone who prioritizes experiences over material things, “I make plenty of money. I can’t imagine living life any other way.”

Andrea made her way to Arizona with one of four sisters, landing at YC after teaching and coaching for seven years in Red Oak, Iowa, and another six years in her hometown of Harlan, Iowa. Everything she wants and needs is here, she said.

For the avid outdoorswoman, there are unlimited places to explore on foot, on a mountain bike and in a kayak.

For the dedicated teacher, there are lives to help lift.

“I don’t envision ever getting out of the classroom, because the part of education that I really love is students, specifically this population of students (the community college mix of non-traditional students, traditional students, athletes, accelerated homeschool students and more). We have this beautiful mix of students who are all here because they want a better life for themselves. It’s an incredible place to be.”