Getting to Know Ms. House

From my childhood until today, I have been greatly influenced by my parents. I grew up in a Christian home, and the morals and values that I learned as a child have helped guide me through the many twists and turns in life. My father was diagnosed with lymphoma when I was three years old. I do not remember much from my early childhood but I do remember the times my father was in and out of the hospital, and when his cancer was in and out of remission. Many times my father was told he had only weeks to live but he managed to fight it out each time. When I was in middle school I became involved in sports and school activities. I played volleyball, basketball, and softball. These activities were an outlet for me during a difficult time in my life. During eighth grade, my dad suffered a stroke, partially paralyzing him and putting him in the hospital for a long stay. I went to stay with the family of my closest friend while my mother stayed at the hospital around the clock. My grades began to slip and I felt myself falling into a depression. By the time high school rolled around, I threw myself into sports. Upon entering ninth grade, I played the same three sports I started in middle school. I made the varsity team in two out of three sports as a freshman. My sophomore year, I had an accident on the softball field and dislocated my patella. This led to many knee surgeries and eventually no more sports. With the many obstacles in my life during high school, I failed to focus on my school work and did not do very well academically. My father was still in and out of the hospital and my athletic career was over. However, the determination I saw in my father as he fought for his life was an inspiration to me. I was lucky enough to get a full time job making decent money as an eighteen year old without a college degree. When the company that employed me closed their doors, I started looking for a job once again and realized that a college education was a necessity. I enrolled in a local community college because my grades in high school were not good enough for me to enter a university directly. I worked full time and went to school at night for several years while I saved money to be able to go to school full time.

September 2003, I watched my grandfather take his last breath, and my life was forever changed. The death of my grandfather was the turning point in my life. I realized that life was short and opportunities only came once in a while. I enrolled full time in a university and started working on my bachelor's degree. After overcoming many obstacles from my childhood until today, I have learned many lessons and realized what the important things are in life. My father is still alive today and still fighting his life threatening illness. Watching him overcome death while keeping his faith and keeping his head held high has taught me a lot, but seeing him mourn over the body of his father has taught me even more. God, family, and friends are the important things in life. In the past, I had a tendency to get caught up in my job and school work and not take time for my family, but things have now changed. My faith and my loved ones now come first, and I do not take one day for granted.

I received my bachelor's degree in May of 2005. I recently finished graduate school at East Carolina University with a Master's degree in Mathematics Education. My short term goal is to teach at the middle school level and coach middle school sports. I want to make a difference in the future generations and help children that may be in a similar situation as I was, go further in life. I want to make sure that many more students decide to succeed and less decide to fail. My ultimate goal is to teach at the college level so that I can teach those who will teach children. At this point, I am on the right track to reaching my ultimate goal. With a lot of hard work and the support of my family and friends, I have been able to receive a wonderful job, coach multiple teams, and have time for those I love. I can attribute my ongoing success in life to my faith in God, the determination of my father, the dedication and support of my mother, and my own perseverance and desire to succeed and make a difference.