All About Me
EDUCATION
I began working in retail when I was 16, and when the time came for college, I went to San Jacinto Central Campus, where I earned my Associate of Arts in Business Administration. As I had worked my way up to store management, I thought I'd work toward my Bachelor's in Business as well. After speaking with a counselor at University of Houston-Clear Lake, however, and asking her to keep my math courses to a minimum, she recommended I reconsider that path. She asked what I enjoyed, what I was interested in. I began to list my various interests, which were wide-ranging and diverse. She suggested I look at a degree in the Humanities, as it would allow me to pursue all sorts of things.
I took her advice and entered a Humanities program. I learned about photography, HTML coding, literature, history, foreign languages, and more. I found that this was the perfect way to both learn new things and explore my varied interests, while also allowing my true passion to emerge. While I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, I fell more in love with Literature, with writing and reading and analyzing and getting lost in amazing stories.
When I wanted to further my education, I remained at UHCL and began work toward my Master of Arts in Literature. I deepened my knowledge of some of the greatest writers throughout history, and I learned to appreciate newer voices. I focused on poetry, honing my craft, and learning how to write when "the muse" wasn't speaking to me. My Master's thesis, When the Muse Won't Dance: An Investigation Into the Craft of Poetry, addressed this topic and included original works I'd written, as well as research into several common forms of poetry.
As to the future, I fully intend to continue learning, and I have enrolled into a program with St. Thomas University to earn my Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Management. I'm excited about what lies before me!
PERSONAL LIFE
Well, where do I begin? I suppose at the beginning...
I grew up in Thomasville, NC. It was a small town, where everyone knew everyone else. I longed for the bright lights of the big city, and I craved a change of scenery from the time I was in middle school. Little did I know how soon my dream would become a reality.
When I was 17, a friend introduced me to a friend of his, and we instantly hit it off. As with any story, of course, there's much more to it, but here are the highlights: we had our first date on July 4 of 1994, and on July 31, 1994 (his 16th birthday), he proposed, and I accepted. Now, we didn't do things the "right" or "traditional" way, which remains my only regret with this entire relationship. We ended up moving to Texas with his parents (he had been living with his grandmother) in September of '94. We got married on July 4, 1995, when I was 18 and he was 16.
Three years later, in 1998, we welcomed our first child, Alicia. Two years after that, we had Trey, then Chloe, Frankie, and Annie. Throughout this, we moved around a bit, but settled in Deer Park, and have loved it here. All of my children have attended Deer Park schools, starting off at Deer Park Elementary, moving through Deer Park Junior High, and on to Deer Park High School. I'm so proud to call Deer Park my home, and now, also, my employer!
MY WORK
I am incredibly excited to be a part of the team at DPHS - South! I have wanted to work here ever since becoming a teacher. But, speaking of becoming a teacher, how did I get here and where have I been?
I began working at the age of 14! I worked in a roller skating rink as a skate guard and concession stand worker. Throughout my high school years, I had several small jobs: sales at JC Penney, filing at an attorney's office, babysitting, K-Mart, Merry Go Round, Mrs. Fields' Cookies, and more. The management bug bit me at Mrs. Fields', and I left there to become an assistant manager at a Ritz Camera store in Pasadena Town Square Mall (now Plaza Paseo). I soon took over as store manager, but, seeking more money, moved on to work with Check 'N Go, eventually becoming a District Manger for them in St. Louis, MO. After a while, I wanted to come back to Texas, but they didn't have stores here at the time, so I switched to PLS.
That didn't last long, however, and soon I was working at T-Mobile. I stayed there for four years while going to school, and was recruited by the Greensheet. I worked with Greensheet for about two years, and by that time, I was almost done with my Bachelor's degree. I realized that through all of these jobs, my favorite part was training my employees and seeing them succeed. I spoke extensively with a friend of mine in education, and he encouraged me to pursue teaching.
I enrolled in Texas Teachers Alternative Certification Program, and began my educational career at Raul Yzaguirre School for Success in Houston. I was there for five years, before moving into the larger and more stable Pasadena Independent School District, at Pasadena Memorial High School. I was there for two years before joining the team at Deer Park.
Once I completed my Master's degree, I also accepted the challenge of becoming an adjunct instructor at San Jacinto College, teaching Composition I and II to first-year college students and dual credit students from various high schools. I have also joined the ranks of instructors at University of Houston-Clear Lake, where I teach mostly junior-level students the finer points of Technical and Business Writing.
My life is crazy and hectic, but I love it!
