Interests
My life is a full, whirling swirl of activity and interests. I have been blessed with wonderful resource, opportunity, abilities and a willingness
to share them. In the diverse and unique path of my life, I have found fulfillment
in helping others and vying for the underprivileged, challenged and underdog. This
compulsion has shaped both my professional and personal life.
Overview
In the infinite wisdom of my early twenties, and at the end of a four year academic scholarship to A.S.U., I
opted to take one semester off. Thirteen years and six children later, I returned
to complete my Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Special Education and Family Studies. At twenty one years old, my husband and I decided to adopt a toddler from Bulgaria. The child was diagnosed with ADHD, Reactive Attachment Disorder and severe developmental delays; however,
we felt up for the challenge. Concurrently, our work with youth led us to organize
a team to work in the orphanages of Eastern Europe after seeing the immense needs. We
adopted a physically handicapped child from Macedonia immediately following the adoption of our son. During consecutive trips we found that our adoptive son, a Roma Gypsy, had older biological siblings
in orphanages whom we adopted. Of our adopted children, one is Autistic and three
are moderately mentally handicapped. We were forced to negotiate a steep learning
curve regarding child development, attachment, and the impact of an institutionalized childhood on both. The cognitive and emotional disabilities displayed by our adoptive children and many adopted from Eastern
European orphanages has driven me to redirect my education and career goals.
Family
I love the raucous rate of my huge, diverse and often outrageous family. They are wonderfully
supportive, opinionated, loyal, loud, and loving. I am blessed with a close knit immediate and extended family.
Goals
At this time I seek a forum in which to expand and integrate
my knowledge and experience of cognitive, emotional and social development and their impact on academic progress. I am looking to expand my understanding of professional applications of specialized concepts and the complimentary
lexis.
Additionally, I would like to help develop
acculturation and attachment based curriculum models for teachers with post-institutional and attachment deprived students.
In consecutive
order, we would like to have established a campground in Northern Arizona to accommodate special needs campers and respite
facilities for their families. Furthermore, we would like to largely staff this
venture with challenged adults who can work but, require heavy guidance and supervision.
In the span
of a decade, I would like to have established after-school programs for the orphanage reared children of Eastern Europe, namely
Bulgaria and Romania, medical and food clinics for the northern borders of Ethiopia and Sudan, career training and deliverance
opportunities for those caught in the sex trade in Cambodia and Nepal. These
specific goals will probably change as the nations shift in need and development. Ultimately,
I feel a compulsion to help those unable to help themselves.
