This narrative inquiry focused on what six current teachers had to say about their high school experiences, first in a comprehensive high school and then an alternative high school. The narratives focused on the culture and climate of the two different settings and if their experiences affected their decision to teach. The theoretical perspectives of organizational culture, bureaucracy and empowerment provided the framework for this study. Narratives from the individual interviews and from the informal group conversation are shared. The participants told their personal stories of what empowered them to make the choice to succeed in school and become educators themselves. Their stories persistently convey the importance of building positive relationships with students and allowing them some individual choice in meeting graduation requirements.