I joined the Air Force  my senior year of high school. My original goal was to get a full-ride track and field scholarship to any university in South Dakota.  While I did earn a full-ride scholarship, I soon found out that a full-ride is not really a full-ride, that is, unless I could go four years without eating or sleeping.  At any rate, with the timing of my FAFSA application, my father’s retirement, and the start of college, all signs seemed to point to the Air Force. Before I knew it, a three-year tour in England, 14 years in Southern California, and three years in Hawaii quickly added up to a nearly 21-year adventure that was coming to an end.

I retired from the Air Force and shortly afterward got a call to start up a brand new Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program at a local high school. Never in a million years did I think I would be a teacher, but once I got in the classroom, I was hooked. After 11 years of teaching JROTC, making a total of 32 years in an Air Force uniform, it was time for change. My husband and I decided to settle in Las Vegas, and I could not be happier that I was able to continue my teaching career – in civilian clothes. One of the biggest adjustments I had to make was figuring out 7th graders because I quickly realized they are nothing like high school students.  Although I still have a lot to learn, every day is an adventure, which is why I love my job and I love my kids. I am fortunate to be part of a major movement in education that believes every child deserves a quality education, regardless of race or zip code.