Meeting at NTI Leads to Wedding Bells for CTE Educators

By Brock Turnipseed

Career and technical education (CTE) historically connects students to real-world skills, but for Anthony and Taborah Nash, it led them to fall in love and get married.

Anthony and Taborah met at New Teacher Induction (NTI) — a Mississippi Department of Education and Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum Unit professional development program that equips new CTE educators with the tools needed for the classroom

— during the 2017-18 cohort.

The couple never imagined a chance meeting at NTI would lead to them getting married since they lived 300 miles apart. Taborah, then Farmer, was a teacher’s assistant in the Moss Point School District in 2017 and went through NTI to teach information and communication technology. Nash lived in Greenville at the time, teaching automotive service technician after working at Firestone for 13 years.

The two began the NTI journey in two separate trainings during the summer of

2017, so they did not officially meet until the following summer when the cohort returned to the MSU campus for two weeks of sessions, teach-backs, industry visits and their graduation ceremony.

During that first week, the couple went to dinner with mutual friends. Taborah said it was a Monday night at Harveys, a longtime local restaurant, where the two ended up sitting beside each other.

According to Anthony, they had friendly conversation, getting to know each other and sharing their interests. Those conversations continued through the week, and one of Anthony’s friends told Taborah that he had something to tell her.

Anthony was persistent that he did not have anything to tell her, but he eventually told her that he complimented her eyes to his friend.

That interaction led to them exchanging numbers, with Anthony calling her during her drive back to Moss Point. They continued their conversations the following week when they returned to MSU to culminate their NTI journeys.

Taborah said they continued talking on the phone for a month before finally reuniting in person. Those visits continued most weekends with trips to Greenville or Moss Point. Sometimes they would meet halfway or attend their children’s sporting events together.

The couple had discussed marriage, and Taborah said it became apparent that is what both wanted when Anthony was ready to give up teaching and train to become a truck driver so they could be together as a family.

“When he was ready to do that is probably when we figured out that was the next step we wanted to take,” she said.

Although they had discussed it, Taborah had no idea a proposal would shortly follow.

“She had no clue what I was doing. I called her mom and asked for her permission, and she agreed,” Anthony said. “It was Christmas Day, and we were going to her mom’s house. Everyone knew what was going on except her. When I walked in, they got her to turn around, and I got down on one knee.”

On July 18, 2020, Anthony and Taborah’s love story came full circle as they exchanged vows in front of immediate family and friends in Vancleave.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the move to virtual learning made the 300mile move easier for Anthony because he was already visiting Taborah for spring break and could stay with her while continuing to teach his students in Greenville.

Fortunately, Anthony did not have to pause his teaching career as the Hancock Career and Technical Center offered him an automotive service technician teaching position. Taborah taught cyber foundations in Hancock last year before moving to the Ocean Springs School District this year.

The couple enjoys reflecting on their days with each other, with Taborah saying they always find laughter in things their students say or do.

Having been through NTI together also helps them navigate the CTE classroom, especially for Anthony, who was teaching students for the first time.

“I stay on top of him,” Taborah said jokingly.

“She makes sure I get everything done,” Anthony said of his spouse. “I was not technologically inclined like her, so she showed me how to do things on the computer.”

Although Taborah had spent time in a classroom, she said the NTI experience gave her the skills to grow her classroom management skills.

“It helped me stay organized. I still use a lot of stuff (the NTI instructors) gave us. There were some long days during NTI, but I took away so much,” Taborah said.

For Anthony and Taborah, NTI brought them together and still provides guidance and resources as they instruct Mississippi’s future workforce.