Twenty-five years ago, I was the little, short girl with run-down shoes, dingy clothes, and “the not-so-perfect” hairdo walking into a fourth-grade classroom at Sylvester Road Elementary School. As I walked into the classroom, a teacher by the name of Donna Brown greeted me with the brightest smile and the warmest of hugs. From that day on, her smile brought such joy and happiness to my heart as I rushed to enter her classroom daily. I remember not wanting to miss a day of school because I had to see Mrs. Brown. In that classroom, I was cared for, respected, and guided with the best of intentions. Despite the often overwhelming challenges I faced at home, Mrs. Brown made me believe I was a brilliant little girl with lots of potential.
I grew up with two older sisters in a single parent home and at times faced devastating neglect. Although provided government assistance, my mother lacked financial and emotional stability. She was a heavy drinker and drug user. I was born with Atrial Septal Defect, absent vertebrae in Cervical Spine, and Proportionate Dwarfism, and thus have always carried the visible and invisible scars of her choices. There were days we had no electricity, food, or even clean clothes to wear. There were times I would go home to an empty house with no one to ask about my day, no one to help me with homework, no one to feed me, and no one to say “I’m proud of you!” It was nothing but a blessing that God sent me to Mrs. Brown’s class.
When Mrs. Brown learned about my home life, she took an even greater interest in me. She reminded me daily that I was indeed a special little girl and, without a doubt, believed in me and all that I did. There were days she would take me home with her to have dinner with her family. I remember the very first time I was to visit her home. I couldn’t sleep the night before. I specifically remember wearing my hair in four ponytails with a tightly-curled bang, a yellow-ruffled dress, white laced socks, and shiny black shoes. That was one of the happiest days of my life. There was nothing I feared when I was around Mrs. Brown. When I was with her, I knew I could be and would be whatever I wanted. I may have spent many nights crying myself to sleep, but I always knew that the next morning I was going to see Mrs. Brown’s smiling face.
Today, I am passionately doing for my students what Mrs. Brown did for me. Being the type of teacher that she was, she instilled in me the importance of my education. She loved me, believed in me, and inspired me to become a teacher. Knowing she would be proud of me has pushed me to become the professional I am today.
The other factor that has influenced me to teach, was the fact that neither my sisters nor mother finished high school. My oldest sister dropped out of school in the 12th grade and became pregnant with her first child. The other sister dropped out of school in 9th grade and became pregnant with her first child. In an effort to follow a different path, as of June 2000, I became one of five in my family to graduate high school. In December 2011, I became the first and only to receive a Bachelor’s degree, and as of December 2015, I became the first and only to receive a Master’s degree.
My greatest contribution to education is my genuine passion for the field. I teach whole-heartedly with a genuine interest in my students as individuals. With my passion, I have been able to take my journey and share it with my students. My past has allowed me to better understand my students and to be that teacher that Mrs. Brown had been to me. Know them, teach them, love them, and most of all respect them. Although my responsibility to my students is to teach them, my heart tells me I must love them first and then teach them.
Thanks for trusting me with your child!