Visitors to this space: Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to review my candidacy for Permanent Status at Edmonds College!

After eighteen years in corporate America, I had the very good fortune to be laid off from the banking industry due to a merger. This gave me the opportunity to return to school full-time to complete my education. I had returned to school, taking evening and online classes at Edmonds College while working, pursuing an Associate Degree in Accounting. This was my opportunity to switch gears and prepare for a career in the sciences. I earned my transfer degree from Edmonds in 2002, and a BS in Oceanography from the University of Washington in 2004. After earning a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University in 2006, finding a science position was difficult. My big break came when my good friend, Andy Williams, asked if I would like to teach Business Math online at Edmonds College. This is how I found my true calling in teaching adults, and I joined Edmonds College as an Instructor for the Business Division in 2007. In 2015, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Western Governors University and had the good fortune to fill in on an emergency basis at the Edmonds College prison campus at Monroe Correctional Complex for the 2015 Spring quarter. This is where I have found my work home to be, teaching adults, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, and watching the benefits of education transform lives. Everyone should have work that they love to do, and I have certainly found mine.

The above quote is a Mission Statement example that I use regularly in my courses for the Business program at the Monroe Correctional Complex campus of Edmonds College. Part of any business program is the idea that business should leave the world a better place, and certainly do no harm.

Let me introduce you to Joe, of Joe's Hot Dog Stand. Joe operates a hot dog stand on the corner of a busy street in an urban setting. Joe has noticed that many people have their heads down, and are not acknowledging the people and world around them. Joe believes that every human needs to be acknowledged as such and recognized as being present in a time and place. It is Joe's mission is to make eye contact with people walking by, nod and smile, and hoping to sell them a hot dog. He wants to inquire about their day, pet their dogs, learn their names, and discuss whatever comes to mind. This approach allows Joe to fulfill his mission to make the world a better place.