Biography

The factor that has had the greatest influence upon me to become a leader in education are the strong role models I had during my formative years and many who are still influential in what I do everyday as an educator myself. I have had role models that represented the struggle for academic excellence in the face of segregation. These role models shared their personal joy and enthusiasm for the learning pro cess and pedagogy. Lastly, my role models have an altruistic commitment to the human race and a long-range view of the significance of what we do today and how it affects our future on this planet. I come from a community of educators. My mother, now deceased, was an exceptional children's educator. My father began his career as a secondary educator; advanced his career as a university professor and coach; and a university administrator. My grandmother, my guardian for the majority of my life, was an elementary and middle school educator. My grandfather was in the Navy and retired as a foreman with an ammunitions depot. I grew up in a community of primary, elementary, secondary and university educators. I grew up in an atmosphere of academic excellence and achievement, not only for you, but to be a contributing member of society. I witnessed those who worked through segregated schools, separate but equal schools and finally in desegregated schools. Their experiences imparted upon me to always strive for excellence, to settle for nothing less and in the words of one of my many mentors “Do not fall prey to the tyranny of mediocrity…EXCEL!” These also are the same people who made me realize that creativity and perseverance are key to success. I have a collection of old, sepia-colored photographs of a very young African-American woman, circa 1940, just beginning her teaching career. One photograph captures the young woman standing on the steps of a school building in Swan Quarter, N.C. The young woman has a proud tilt to her head, her chin upwards in confidence and pride of her new found career in education. In another photograph, the young woman stands with a group of children. The children, young girls in dresses and young boys in shirts and ties, are her collective class of first, second and third graders. In yet another picture, the same young woman stands with a group of educators from eastern North Carolina. I don’t know what the occasion was to bring together such a distinguish group of African-American teachers and supervisors in the 1940s, but the sense of purpose and pride that exudes from this group is apparent. The young woman was my grandmother, she told me countless stories of how she would arrive early to s chool to shovel coal into a stove that heated the building where K-12 was taught under the same roof. Many of the young educators, some of them who worked the Elizabeth City State Teacher’s College (now Elizabeth City State University) farm to pay for their college education, taught in that small clapboard building and so many others like it in rural, Eastern North Carolina. The prideful faces, in the old fading photographs, seem to look pointedly at me with a charge to continue what they started.

These images are from the 1940s, a time dominated by World War II and Jim Crow Laws in the South. In spite of this, it was their goal to educate young minds in east ern North Carolina. These young educators demanded excellence, responsible citizenry and achievement regardless of socioeconomic status. I grew up under their tutelage. These children in the sepia-colored photographs did not have computers, Interactive White Boards, social networking, eReaders and all the bells and whistles that some people believe that students need to be successful. These children did not live in an integrated, free society. But these children were taught by dedicated educators who envisioned beyond their current circumstances and understood the requisite of education to change the world in which they lived. These children became outstanding members of their communities. These men and women were contributing citizens who changed the landscape and societal viewpoints so that I could succeed and settle for nothing less.

This is the same perseverance, strength and determination to succeed in spite of adverse circumstances that drive me to inspire all students and teachers that they, too, can succeed. The y motivated me to achieve my greatest accomplishments in education; acceptance into the 3rd class of students at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and then returning as a Convocation Day speaker; becoming the Region 1 North Carolina Science Teachers Association Outstanding Science Teacher; achieving the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in Adolescence and Young Adult Science, certification and re-certification; becoming recognized by my peers as a Teacher of the Year, in both high schools where I have taught; representing Martin County as Teacher of the Year and currently a proud member of the NCSU Northeast Leadership Academy Cohort II.

My responsibility of producing literate citizens is, I dare say, innate. The “stuff I am made of” is the understanding that with a literate citizenry you have better decision making in all genres. Literate citizens are empowered to lay their own pathways of achievement. I gladly accept the charg e that was passed down to me, to continue to educate the citizenry of eastern North Carolina and all youth. I stand with that same proud tilt of head, that my grandmother had because I know that when you empower a child to think, to create, to innovate you change an individual, you change a family, you change a community, and you change a nation. This is why I am an educator. This is why I want to lead.

Students must know that they are our future leaders, teachers, doctors, lawyers,scientists, and creative thinkers they have a responsibility not only to challenge themselves but also a responsibility to the health and well being of our planet and to the continuation of our species. It is our responsibility as educators to empower them to fulfill their individual destinies and the destiny of us all. Leaders must know that it is our charge to nurture and develop productive citizens. Leaders must also know that we must amalgamate the old and new. There are some foundations of good education that will never change, but we are a technology driven species that is constantly evolving. Leaders must meet the challenges of working with children techno-gear ed for the 21st century. We must reconstruct our toolboxes. The young lady in the sepia-colored photograph with a shovel in hand empowered me to not only pick up a shovel when necessary, but not to fear change and adaptation for survival.