Born to a family full of love, wife, Mom, Ma, middle child, friend, teacher, Middle School CCF....Greatly blessed and thankful !

Welcome to my page! Nice to meet you, I'm Mary. My husband and I have three children, four grandsons, one granddaughter-in-law, a loyal dog that tries to chase the cats, and one good old horse. We enjoy living on a small ranch, in the middle of nowhere slightly near Odessa, Texas. I was born here and attended school where I now work.

Like many of my peers, my family is my why and always will be (God first, family second, and then work). I married young. My father passed away my eighth grade school year. My mother had never worked a outside the home and had four children to raise without my dad. My aunt and uncle helped her enter college and find a career path. I became the caretaker for my sibling and took care of the home while she earned a secretarial degree. The importance of an education and a growth mindset were ingrained.

My mom decided to move away for work and agreed to let me marry and stay behind, if I promised to finish school. I failed forward through many trials and tribulations along my journey, but I continue to grow daily. I have been greatly blessed! One-by-one all the right doors have opened. I still dance across the kitchen floor with the man I married forty-four years ago. He is my greatest fan. I know I am loved. My family and I treasure time together and home-cooked meals around the table. We still bow our heads and say grace. I kept my promise to my mom. I finished school and continued on to earn an associate's and bachelor's degree. At this time, I haven't earned a master's degree yet, but I am working towards a degree in educational leadership and technology. With the support of my family, a growth mindset and a positive focus lead to one small success after another.

I realized my passion to teach very early in life. As a young child, I tutored my siblings and neighbors who struggled with learning. My desire to facilitate learning has continued. I have been a certified teacher for over twenty-six years. After twenty years, I moved from a self-contained elementary classroom to middle school where I taught 8th grade science. The next six years were spent in middle school where I also lead a team of eight teachers as the department chair. I strive to learn as I teach, continually adding new tools to my toolbox. My passion lies in building nurturing environments for all learners. This passion has continued to grow through the years, both at home and through my work.

I am currently pursuing a master's leadership degree with technology from Lamar University. These studies will better prepare me to serve and build a community of thriving learners within my school district. I enjoy exchanging tools and building knowledge with other educators through Professional Learning Network (PLN) connections. I can better facilitate learning for others and follow my passions with personalized professional development at my fingertips. #Never#Stop#Learning