On May 9, 1972, I was born in Conyers, Georgia, and graduated from Heritage High School in 1990. I completed my core classes for two years at Georgia Southern University. I received my ABJ in Telecommunications with an emphasis on radio and television production at the University of Georgia in Athens in 1994. My interest in the television industry was sparked early on. Despite my initial dream of attending film school and 'making it' in Hollywood, I ultimately chose to pursue a career in this field.
My professional journey began in early 1996 at WFLA-TV (NBC) in Tampa, Florida. I started with tasks such as ripping news scripts, operating the teleprompter, and managing the large studio cameras. In the fall of '96, I transitioned to the broadcast facilities of the Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg, Florida, where I worked as an overnight audio operator. Over time, I expanded my roles to include graphic and robotic camera operation, managing six cameras from a single station. This progression led me to roles as a technical director and director, where I performed both roles. In the spring of 1999, I had the unique opportunity to spend a month in Tokyo as the lead trainer for the newly acquired Shop Channel Japan. This experience allowed me to train the entire production crew in various live show positions, which I undertook with great enthusiasm and dedication. By 2000, I was chosen as one of six Senior Directors at HSN, directing some of their most significant shows. During this period, I received a baby gift from Sylvester Stallone's wife, Jen Flavin-Stallone, who had a significant cosmetics line with the network, sent from Miami.
In March of 2001, I landed my dream job at ESPN Studios in Bristol, Connecticut, as a technical director for the newly launched ESPNEWS channel. In addition to handling technical directing duties (managing the visual aspects of live shows), I was also responsible for operating the tape room, editing, and camera shading. Working at the world's largest sports television network, I was constantly inspired by the incredibly talented individuals I had the privilege to work with. Together, we spent many late-night and early-morning hours in control rooms, each of us contributing our unique skills to create the best shows possible. I even had the honor of being the first technical director for the televised launch of the Mike & Mike radio show! After dedicating seven years to this job, the toll of long overnight shifts in control rooms led me to pursue another dream job: teaching!
While I was still working at ESPN in 2008, I began researching areas in Georgia that would allow me to pursue a career in teaching through the TAPP (Teacher Alternate Preparation Program) as an elementary school teacher. I wanted to make an early impact on a child's life. After flying down to Atlanta, I took and passed the GACE exam, which enabled me to teach in Georgia. In April, I interviewed at numerous elementary schools in Richmond County in Augusta, Georgia. I started teaching 4th grade in the fall of 2008 at Deer Chase Elementary. After two years, I moved to Glenn Hills Elementary, where I taught 2nd grade, 5th grade, Pre-K, 2nd grade again, and 4th grade again. Discovering that I enjoyed teaching the younger students the most, I transferred to Copeland Elementary, where I had a fantastic year teaching kindergarten. Reflecting on my journey, I am excited about the future and its opportunities. In the summer of 2016, fate intervened as I prepared to return to teach kindergarten!
One summer night, I couldn't sleep, so I started looking for job openings in elementary schools in Columbia County. I was living in Evans at the time. While scrolling down, I found an AVTF opening at Grovetown High School. I didn't even know that such a job existed in the county! After an interview with Mr. Baker, I was offered the position of television and film production teacher at GTHS. The facilities were terrific, including a classroom full of iMacs, a control room, and a full-sized studio with a green screen. For the past nine years, I have dedicated myself to growing and thriving the AVTF program. I run the classroom and studio like a professional facility, setting high expectations for professionalism, quality of work, and effort. We produce the Warrior News show and numerous student films and shoot and edit live sporting events into remarkable highlights. I am fortunate to combine two passions — TV and film production, and teaching — into a single labor of love and passion with my students every day. My goal is to teach students and positively change their lives in many ways.