Personal Statement

"Whoever our students may be, whatever the subject we teach, ultimately we teach who we are."

~ Parker J. Palmer

My Academic History

I am grateful that I learned the love of reading from my mom. The love of writing came soon after. Riding in the car with my dad, I would make up stories in my head about the people in the cars around us: where they were going and why, where they came from, and what they liked to do on the weekends. Same thing for houses we would pass. I especially loved driving by at night so I could see in their windows, always looking cozy and warm in the soft glow of light outlined by the dark and my passenger-side window.

My family supported reading - higher education, not so much. As a first-generation high school graduate, I knew nothing about college. If not for my high school guidance counselor (a cliché, I know, but still true), I would never have dreamed of applying to college. So, with little money in my pockets and no idea how to navigate a university campus, I headed up to Western Washington University (WWU). The path was not easy and was definitely circuitous. I did not earn my bachelor's degree until I was 31 (I was NOT in school for 13 years!) as I had to keep stopping out to earn not only tuition money but food money.

It would be another 17 years until I earned my master's degree (again, I was NOT in graduate school for 17 years!!), as I had a family to raise. Attending school full-time while also working full-time is something of which I am very proud. The fact that I earned an advanced degree at an advanced age is something else I have in common with my students; they range in age from 18-60+.

Why I Belong at Edmonds College and Teaching in Corrections

For seven years I worked full-time at WWU in a manager position while teaching part-time at Bellingham Technical College (BTC) as an associate faculty. This is when I knew what I was meant to do; at 50 years old, I had found my calling. My second quarter, I had a student in my class who had recently been released from the Washington State Penitentiary; he even had the monitoring ankle bracelet to prove it, and he ended up being one of my favorite students. Each quarter I was met with new faces and backgrounds, and many of those backgrounds included incarceration. I loved my time teaching at BTC and am forever thankful for the opportunity as it pushed me even closer to my intended purpose of teaching in a correctional facility. Had I not had the experiences at BTC, I would have never pursued a teaching position in Corrections, and I am so glad I did. It is wonderful that Edmonds College contracts with the Monroe Correctional Complex (MCC) to provide educational opportunities. The relationship and work done between Edmonds College and MCC are invaluable. I can think of no profession more noble than teaching and teaching in Corrections is noble and also selfless. The challenges and obstacles faced each day can feel insurmountable and are definitely not for the weak or weary. There are days (many, in fact) where I feel exhausted and unable to go on, but that same day I see a student understand a concept, realize his potential, tell me that he actually was "intrigued" by a topic, and I am no longer tired. The obstacles and challenges my students face are far greater than mine, so who am I to be tired?

As long as I can remember, I knew I was going to do something important with my life. I had no idea what that would be, but I knew it would be something. It could have come sooner so I could have the time to do it longer, but I will take it as it is. All in good time, I guess. In my time teaching at MCC, I have learned so much: about teaching, about life, about humanity, and about myself. I know that I am the "teacher" in the classroom, but my students are teaching me more than I can ever hope to teach them, and for that, I am beyond grateful.