A Very Brief Biography

Born in a military base hospital in Georgia, I'm proud to say I'm an Air Force Brat...from everywhere and nowhere, always the new kid in school, forever longing for a place to call "home." But Home is where the heart is, or where you hang your hat, and like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, I've found my true home is with those I love. And yet, when I was stuck in a place where I didn't feel loved, it's an area I'd never lived in that beckoned me, urged me on to a better life: The West.

I left my parents' home in 1976 to begin my life with the man who was to become my ex-husband twenty years later. We had our good times, but when those were overshadowed by the growing sense that we just did not belong together, I packed up my things and brought my boys to Arizona. When the manual graphic arts skills that had kept me employed throughout my marriage proved inadequate in today's job market, I decided to pursue my life-long dream of becoming an art teacher. I enrolled in Northern Arizona University in the fall of 1997...finally, on May 10, 2002, I will walk the stage to receive my Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education.

It's been a struggle making ends meet while I've been in school, but now I enjoy sharing my time and talents with young people, inspiring them to develop the creativity inherent in all of us. As the mother of two growing boys, Ronnie and Robert, I have witnessed the magic that a touch of encouragement brings to a child's world. I believe that exposure to and enjoyment of the arts is as critical to a person's well-being as are air to breathe and water to drink. Teaching - even though it pays far less than I would have made in a computer graphics career - is the key to fulfilling my purpose on this earth.

And in realizing my dreams...at last...perhaps I'll find My Home.

Music on this page is Led Zepplin's "Stairway to Heaven" courtesy of Klaus' page of MIDI files.

"There's a feeling I get/ when I look to the west..."