But once he gets his degree from the College of Education in elementary/special education this month, Watson hopes to work with something almost as unpredictable as a missile launch: kids in the Philadelphia School District.

The road to Temple began for Watson from a small town 70 miles outside of Mobile. After graduating from high school, Watson enlisted in the Army and was sent to Fort Sill, Okla., for his basic training.

But after he retired, Watson wanted to live somewhere that he had never lived before. He and his wife, Simone, considered moving their kids, Max and Nick to South Carolina or Tennessee before settling on Philadelphia because it had one thing that the other places didn’t — family.

“She had family [in Philadelphia],” he said. “We didn’t know anyone anywhere else, and that was important.”

Because Simone had grown up in Overbrook Farms, which is near St. Joseph University, Watson considered going there first, he said. But after a trip to the college, he decided that it wasn’t for him.

Temple, however, felt more familiar. The military bases that he had called home for 20 years are some of America’s most diverse places. Watson found that same type of diversity at Temple, he said.

“When I [first] came to Temple, I thought that it felt very diverse and looked very diverse,” he said. “I wasn’t disappointed. There were people of many different ethnic and social backgrounds in my classes. Their perspectives were amazing and they really opened my eyes to some of the things that the kids in my classes might be facing.”

It was also a need to keep things interesting that led Watson to elementary education, he said.

“In secondary education, you have to study just one thing and can only teach that,” he said. “I didn’t want to teach the same subject time and time again. I want to teach the basics and also want feedback from my students. I want to make an impact.”

Once he graduates, Watson wants to teach at a Philadelphia School District school and then earn his master’s degree in educational administration, and he ultimately hopes to be able to lead a school as principal.

“While I want to teach, I feel that I can make a larger contribution to education as a principal,” he said. “Although, I can’t lead until I’ve followed.”