My mission and purpose is to empower others to know that their circumstances do not define their success.

I grew up on Gainesville’s poverty line. The ceiling of my childhood home leaked when it rained, and my school lunches were compliments of the federal free or reduced meal program.

But there was one thing I always had — support. My parents, relatives, church, Brownie leader, teachers and babysitters would rally around me and make sure I was fed, educated and on time everywhere I went. My community was my support system.

That’s why I love our Community Partnership School at Howard Bishop Middle School. The Alachua partners, including Children’s Home Society of Florida, offer extended enrichment, services and relationships that mirror the same “village” that added to my own success growing up.

I spent my entire K-12 education in the Alachua County Public School System.

After high school, I made my way up to Santa Fe College and began my undergraduate to become a lawyer. I was focused gaining a large income, living in a big city and becoming my heroes on Law and Order (the original).

I took my LSATS and applied for law school. It was a hard fall backwards when I wasn’t accepted into UF’s law school. But my heart and fiancé brought me right back to Gainesville. I began volunteering and tutoring while calculating my next move and eventually decided to take a temporary – or so I thought – job as a teacher.

I started teaching in 1996. My first class was special ed. It opened my eyes to working with kids with disabilities and behavioral struggles. I saw all of the have-nots, and the teacher bug finally bit me, but I knew I needed more.

I went back to school for my master’s and was encouraged by my mentor and teacher, Cecil Mercer, to pursue my PhD. Even through this time, I was still focused on cashing larger paychecks. Maybe I would become a professor or become published.

But I took the hardest hit of all during my second year of studies – breast cancer. It was a diagnosis I thought was reserved for older ladies and the shock was a paradigm shift for me.

I began thinking about the legacy I would want to leave behind. What would I be remembered for? What would people say about me?

I decided to refocus my tenacity and heart into my community — the children and parents who needed love and needed people to believe in their success.

Acting as the Community Partnership School Director felt like a perfect fit for me – encouraging the community to come together, support each other and provide a safe and candid space for families and faculty to collaborate and improve our lives socially and economically.

Alachua County is home to many leaders who grew up locally and have worked to become successful in business, art and advocacy. If they could come and speak to the students and inspire them to follow their dream, then we could further open our doors into the community and open doors to opportunity for our students.

I believe in the potential of our community’s kids – and I’m determined to help them realize all they can become.