Sharon Harrison’s love for teaching first sprouted when she was 16 years old. She was a playground director for Dearborn and at 18 years old, she taught illiterate adults how to read and write.

Harrison was originally going to be a dentist, however, she decided that path wasn’t for her.

“I had about eight years of dental school, including undergrad, and I would spend the rest of my life looking in probably some really gross mouths, and decided I didn’t want to do it,”

She went to dental school at the University of Detroit but later ended up at Madonna University where she gained her teaching degree.

At Community, she began as a step-in for a teaching assistant and then transitioned to a substitute position.
“I was impressed by how everybody knew my name by the end of the day,” Harrison said. “It’s just a great school to be at.”

But at first, Harrison wasn’t so sure about Community.

“Its sort of reputation was more like a hippie school, super lax, and I thought, well, that’s so different from the traditional American public school,” Harrison said. “It’s almost got a European vibe to it.”

While teaching English in Germany, Harrison learned about Community from a family there. Germany wasn’t her only European adventure, Harrison also lived in England for four years where she did writing therapy for disabled individuals. Not only was Harrison overseas prior to Ann Arbor, but she also taught in Saline. After leaving the Saline district, she decided she wanted to continue her teaching path. In 2021 she began her subbing career at Community.

Not everything is about the job for Harrison; she loves working with kids and helping as many as she can. After coming to Community, she knew it was special and not something to let go of.