The Beginning

This is where our journey begins.

The Beginning-Texas

Born in October 2000, I grew up in a small town in Texas surrounded by a large, close-knit support system. My parents were young—just seventeen and eighteen when they had me—so my childhood was filled with the loving presence of my Nana, Mamaw, aunts, uncles, cousins, and my babysitter, whom I still affectionately call Aunt Terri. My schooling journey officially kicked off in a church preschool program, where I attended pre-K at a Methodist church guided by two memorable teachers, Ms. Penny and Ms. Cooke.

The Beginning- Kentucky

When my dad joined the military, we packed up and moved to Kentucky—right as I was set to start kindergarten. That already major transition became even heavier when my sister Whitney was born with a cystic hygroma, requiring specialized medical treatments that kept my parents in another state for weeks at a time. Suddenly, I was juggling the brand-new world of kindergarten while living in an unfamiliar state, watching my dad begin his military career, and missing my parents as they cared for my sister. It was an unfathomably difficult year for all of us, but we came out stronger on the other side.

The Beginning- Georgia

I started first grade in Kentucky, but a mid-year move to Savannah, Georgia, completely reshaped my school days—starting with putting on a school uniform for the very first time. Savannah quickly became the backdrop for both my childhood and my education. Shortly after we arrived, my sister Loryn was born. I attended that same elementary school from first through fifth grade, getting to share my final year there with my sister Whitney. I then transitioned to middle school in Savannah, marking another major milestone right alongside family life when my brother, Jackson, was born over winter break in sixth grade.

The Beginning-North Carolina

The summer before seventh grade, our family moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina. Leaving all my friends behind at that age made it a tough adjustment, but I soon settled in and completed seventh and eighth grade at New Century. From there, I headed to Jack Britt High School, where a major highlight of my sophomore year was meeting my future husband. Life took a transformative turn at the beginning of junior year when I gave birth to our daughter less than two weeks into the semester. With my partner and I raising our baby girl long-distance, I initially turned to homeschooling to manage the new demands of motherhood. However, I soon realized that homeschooling wasn't the right academic fit for me. Wanting a stronger learning environment, I returned to Jack Britt for my senior year—successfully balancing motherhood, long-distance family life, and school demands so well that I graduated a semester early.

The Beginning-College Life

Graduating a semester early gave me a head start, so I enrolled at FTCC to pursue an associate degree in nursing before relocating to Charlotte to be with my future husband. Once in Charlotte, I transferred to CPCC and pivoted to early childhood education—a field that resonated deeply with me. Earning that degree was a true labor of love: I welcomed my second baby during the program and was pregnant with my third when I graduated. From there, I took a meaningful break to be a full-time stay-at-home mom, during which our family grew by two more sweet babies. Today, my journey continues at Appalachian State University, where I am earning my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. As three of my five kids begin their own adventures in school, I am experiencing education not just through textbooks, but through the daily lives of the children I am raising and the students I am preparing to teach.

"The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you."

B.B. King