Alyssa Ridenour reporter@greenepublishing.com
Cindy Vega is a resident of Georgia but has been teaching in Florida for the past 11 years. "I felt it was my calling to come here," said Vega. She is currently teaching first grade at Madison Creative Arts Academy (MCAA). Prior to her employment with MCAA, she taught Pre-K in Texas for six years and English in Japan for two years.
Vega explains that when she was old enough to start considering her future, she chose to be rebellious. She refused to become a teacher because her parents were educators and she did not want to follow the family trend. The first time she went to college, she was not focused on her education. She cared more about having a good time. She explained that she was young and going through a phase.
She met Roderick Vega, who would later become her husband. At the time, he was in the Air Force. Her marriage with him resulted in the creation of the lives of her two children, Gabrielle and Nicholas. As they traveled from one Air Force base to the next, she wanted to be close to her kids while they attended school. So she decided to go into the education field and work at the schools her children attended. However, she quickly discovered how passionate she was about the job. She even won the Madison County Teacher of the Year award in 2018.
She went back to college in her 40's and attended Valdosta State University, where she graduated in 2007 with a Bachelors of Education and Reading. During her second enrollment in college, she found herself significantly more dedicated to her studies. "You decide what to do," explained Vega. "You have that vision and you push forward." She was on a mission when she returned to college and she dedicated herself to her education.
During the past 28 years that she has spent with her husband, they traveled to multiple places after leaving Pensacola, Fla., including: Japan, New Mexico, Texas and Georgia. Three years ago, her husband retired from the military after 27 years of service. He is now the Inspector General at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Ga. The Vegas have one grandson and are awaiting the birth of a second grandson.