Kelly Andrews-Denney, a 44-year-old mother near Portland, Oregon, worked as a high school math teacher for 17 years. She loved her job initially, even through personal and professional challenges, including the loss of students. However, after becoming a mother in 2013, she started to feel the emotional and physical toll of teaching. The pandemic in 2020 significantly diminished her passion for teaching, as remote learning lacked engagement. In 2024, she transitioned to working at Costco, where her husband noticed she seemed “lighter” and happier when she came home.
