“I had divorced parents and eventually this led me to foster care and children’s homes,” Grothaus said.
Grothaus said her aunt and uncle became her guardians, which brought her to Beavercreek. Instead of allowing her background to hold her back, Grothaus worked to take leadership roles wherever she found them.
“I was so appreciative to have my aunt and uncle,” Grothaus said. “I ended up being on student council and was a cheerleader and dancer in high school.”
After high school graduation, Grothaus went to Wright State University and was on the dance team for a year. And she discovered her heart was leading her to teaching.
“When I came to Wright State, I wanted to be in the medical field,” Grothaus said. “I took biology courses, but it wasn’t fulfilling.”
Thinking back to how much she loved coaching younger students in dance in high school, she discovered her true passion.
Grothaus had reconnected with her biological father, and he advised her to stay the course in the medical field because of the higher earning potential it offered. Grothaus instead followed her heart and focused on training to be a science and math teacher.
Getting into administration
Immediately after college graduation, Grothaus started teaching at Greeneview Schools in Jamestown. She very quickly decided to return to school to get her principal license at the University of Dayton.
“I switched to teaching at a Department of Defense STEM program called STARBASE at Wright Patterson,” Grothaus said. “After five years, I got my first principal job at Milton Union schools.”
She worked there for three years then was hired by Northmont City Schools as assistant principal. She married Brad Grothaus in 2004, and the couple has three sons.
“I was always looking at my students and my own children and I saw this huge disconnect between what they were learning and how it connected to future goals and careers,” Grothaus said. “I tried to make an intentional effort to get them career exposure whenever I could.”
Creating smooth transitions for students
Three years ago, Grothaus spotted a job that intrigued her. She applied and was hired as a career navigator by Montgomery County, the first person to fill this position in a brand-new program.
“My job is unique because districts can hire me to come in and work on career connected learning with their students,” Grothaus said. “I also help support county initiatives.”
Grothaus works with both middle and high school students, offering them real world work experiences and help with their career pathways. She starts with performing district assessments and looking at the coursework. She then identifies what courses are actually career based.
“In middle school we offer experiences and career exploration,” Grothaus said. “In high school, we start planning and looking at career pathways. Our goal is to create smoother transitions from high school to life after.”
Grothaus is essentially hired by the individual districts and works closely with the superintendent and curriculum directors on career plans for students.
“I don’t reach every student but focus on kids that aren’t necessarily focused on what’s next,” Grothaus said.
Now that the team has grown and additional career navigators have been hired, more districts are being served, and the career navigation program is now being offered to districts in Warren County.
“I love exploring new careers with the students and talking about those I never even knew existed,” Grothaus said. “I love connecting the different industries to the classrooms and bringing guests in to talk to students about jobs.”
Currently Grothaus is excited about working with the three major hospital networks – Kettering Health, Premier and Dayton Children’s – and creating a triage type experience for students interested in a medical career.
The county offers a program called “YouScience” that allows students to experience a day in the life of a career. The platform is informational and offers work-based learning.
“It guides a lot of conversations,” Grothaus said. “Students can look at what post-secondary options are available — from trade schools to two year to four-year colleges.”
Grothaus herself said coming from an unstable background doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t rise above.
“I tell the kids that they can be the first-generation college graduates in their families,” Grothaus said. “They can focus on being better and not allowing barriers to push them back. And I can help.”
Contact this contributing writer at Banspachwriter@gmail.com.