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As the only surviving child of my mom, watching and remembering how my mom struggled to ensure my brother, and I get an education has been my reason to make her proud. Even though it's been 19 years since she passed, getting the maximum degree in education is one of the greatest things she has wanted for her children. Since I lost my brother 4 years ago, I can't quit but continue on this journey to make her proud and achieve the greatest and highest level of education, which she never had.

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"You can do anything with a business degree"

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"You can do anything with a business degree"

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I had no idea what I wanted to do when starting my undergraduate journey. Although a classically trained musician, I wasn't an amazing music theory buff, so I didn't have enough confidence to major in Music. As a "kitchen beautician," I couldn't balance Gen Eds while seeking a Cosmetology license.

I shared with a family member that I decided to start college without declaring a major. They responded, "That's lame. You should major in business. You can do anything with a business degree."

So, I did. And it was the best decision of my life (even though I wanted to drop out, but that's another story). I didn't know I would become a campus leader, fall in love with leadership, start my own marketing agency, or how nuanced my career would get. However, I'm glad I majored in business. I truly can do anything and I plan to share with students that they can, too.

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My path to falling in love with education has not been traditional. In my former years, I struggled to keep up in class and would later find out that I had a learning disability. With the support of my family and determination, we set out to equip me with skills to compensate for this element of my learning need. The resolute on my journey is a love of learning and sharing, waiting for the light bulb moment in every student I encounter when they have reviewed the information, now know the subject matter, and have knowledge of their own to share with the next student they encounter.

Keep learning, Keep Sharing, and Keep

growing,

S

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I met a Vietnam veteran preparing to retire from the Air Force after 29 years of service when I joined the military. He offered to mentor me and became my lifelong mentor for 25+ years. During our 1:1 discussions, he always asked, "How do you want to be remembered?" He emphasized education and stated that knowledge is not yours to keep; it is something that no one can take away from you. Subsequently, our mantra became "Listen, learn, observe, and pay it forward." Our interactions contributed to my altruistic approach to life and inspired me to teach at the collegiate level to pay it forward.

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Throughout my career, I was lucky to have served with some of the best and some of the worst leaders. Over the years, I learned that there is no single "good" way to lead people, but there are many "bad" ways. This led me to want to learn more about how people become leaders and managers, and to find ways for me to help others along that journey. I have always enjoyed teaching and I love the feeling of helping others learn and grow. This led me to pursue my PhD so that I can continue to teach others.

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I started my own International Logistics business in 1999 and sold it last year. It was a family business since two of my sisters worked for me. This class is going to teach how to manage a successful family business. I can share with you more during the class and you are feel free to ask me any questions you have. I am looking forward to seeing you in Spring 2025.

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Story prompt: Tell a brief story about a
moment, an event, a person, or a struggle
that influenced your path to your discipline.
Something you would share with your future students. To edit your post, click on 3 dots at top right of your padlet. Alternatively, add an image and create a title to tell your story.

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I began my college career as a non-traditional student at the University of New Hampshire to study marketing and advertising. In a conversation about teaching grammar in one of my required English courses, my professor asked me how I would teach grammar when I became an English teacher. I said I had no intention of becoming an English teacher...but her question stayed with me and I started to think about it seriously. And, I've been an English teacher for 25 years now.