Aspiring teachers are getting a chance to fulfill their dreams.

A program through the SC Department of Education allows non-traditional teachers to enter the classroom.

Robin Young of the Effingham community of Florence County says after 17 years in the medical field she wanted to make a career change.

She got the courage to do so, after talking with her husband.

"He was like well what do you really want to do. I said I want to teach and he said then teach," said Young.

Young has been teaching english at Southside Middle School in Florence for the past year.

She has a degree in English that she earned from Francis Marion University, but she wasn't certified to teach and that's where the PACE program comes in.

PACE is a program through the State Education Department that allows college-educated professionals to teach for up to three years, while training to become certified teachers.

"These folks did not go through a teacher education program while they were in college and now they've decided they want to embark on a teaching career," said Falicia Harvey with the SC Department of Education.

PACE educators go through several training (https://scteachers.ed.sc.gov/apps/paceweb/participant/training.cfm) sessions.

Participants in the Pee Dee have been in training at Coker College University in Hartsville for two weeks.

They're learning several techniques for the classroom, including how to motivate students.

Harvey said "We try to give them the information about how to share their knowledge with the age group they're teaching. What are the state curriculums requirements? What do they know with their background and how do they take that all they know into the classroom?"

"It's a very rigorous program. i'm not going to lie. It's rigorous, but we get so much great information. I love waking up every morning and saying I have the opportunity to change somebody's life to make a difference. It's just indescribable," said Young.

Officials with the State Department of Education say PACE educators also bring a diversity to the classroom, especially as it relates to gender and race.

"The state teaching population is 17% male, but in PACE, 34% of our participants are male. In the state teaching population 17% of our teachers are minority, but in PACE, 45% are minority. We haven't been able to understand what makes the males and minorities choose a teaching career late, but we're thrilled that they do," said Harvey.

Robin Young says PACE is helping her to be the best teacher she can be as she works toward certification.

Young said, "It's worth everything that we go through. It's really worth what we go through."

Officials say every year, at least 10 % of the state's new teachers are PACE educators.