This was a difficult assignment for me. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I could or should say about myself and where I am from. I have not had the easiest past, and it can be difficult for me to talk about. However, it is my past, and I would not be the person I am today if it were not for the experiences that I have had. I have overcome the obstacles that I have faced, and have learned from them. More importantly, my past experiences have helped to shape me into the teacher that I want to be. I have always said if I could keep one child from having the childhood that I had, then everything I have been through will have been worth it. I hope that by sharing my experiences I can inspire other's to overcome their obstacles, follow their dreams, and find strength in themselves. As you read this poem, please don't feel sorry for me. After all, I am not a victim, I am a survivor.
I was a lost and lonely girl
The child no one wanted
Alone, afraid, hurt and bruised
The child teased and taunted.
I was a scared and broken girl
The teen that no one wanted
Defiant, abused, beaten and scarred
The teen desperate and haunted
I am no longer just a girl
My past does not define me
I’m stronger than before
My future is what guides me
I am a strong and caring woman
With family, love, and friends
Shy, kind, dependable and honest
The woman who finds strength within.
I will be an inspirational teacher
That listens, trusts and guides
Intelligent, strong, funny and helpful
The woman I am inside.
I am an adventure-er, discoverer, dreamer, believer.
I am a hiker, swimmer, camper, climber.
I am a nerd, bookworm, writer, mathematician.
I am a student, teacher, learner, friend.
I am me, and there is no one else I would rather be.
Jessy 's life is always an adventure.
As may have been guessed from reading the I AM poem above, there are not many places that I have considered home. During my early years my stepdad was in the military so we moved around a lot. I spent most of my teenage years in the foster care system. With this also comes a lot of moving around. It was not until about four years ago that I learned what it really meant to be home.
I have included some places that I have lived along the way in the maps below. However, the only place that has really been home is Farmington, New Mexico.
I was born in Sealy, Texas, on July 5th. To parents Bob and Tammy Ring. They were divorced a short time later. I stayed with my mom, who then remarried.
My baby brother was born in Boston, Massachusetts, when I was two.
My baby sister was born in Baumholder, Germany when I was five. We moved back to the United States shortly after she was born.
We spent a few years in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Where we lived as a family until my mother and stepdad divorced.
Then we moved to Fort Collins, Colorado. We lived at the KOA for the first few months. I bounced around Northern Colorado for the next eight years. Living both with my mother, and in the foster care.
At the age of 19 I moved to Southwest Colorado. I moved around between Durango, CO and Bayfield, CO.
Finally about four years ago I found home in Farmington, New Mexico.