When Hurricane Andrew devastated Louisiana in 1992, one family’s journey led them to a new home in Alief, Texas. The following year, at the start of her freshman year of high school, she enrolled at Alief Elsik High School — a move she describes as *“one of the best decisions my parents ever made.”
She graduated from Mighty Ram Nation in 1997, carrying with her memories that would last a lifetime. Among them, one experience stands out: the chance to participate in the Close-Up Presidential Inauguration trip, where she and her peers traveled to Washington, D.C., to witness historic inaugural events. That trip solidified her curiosity about the world and her desire to make an impact.
From an early age, she knew teaching was her calling. “I was born to be a teacher,” she says without hesitation. The educators she encountered in Alief — her English teacher, Ms. Thomas, Rampage Newspaper sponsor Ms. Leatherwood, and student teacher Dr. Lenora Leatherwood — inspired her to remain in Alief. They made me feel not only seen but inspired.
Today, she proudly serves as a reading, language arts, and social studies fourth-grade teacher at Petrosky Elementary. What she loves most is the ability to transform lives and provide students with the assurance that they are loved, valued, and capable of achieving their dreams.
Her experiences in Alief instilled skills that continue to guide her career. Through leadership roles, collaborations, and mentorship opportunities — including Alief U and TAFE — she has poured her insights into both new and aspiring teachers. Beyond her classroom, she remains connected to the district through the Alief Education Foundation, an organization that once supported her as a senior and now allows her to give back to today’s graduates.
The impact of her work is evident in the lifelong bonds she has built. Many of her former students have grown into adults who return to share their gratitude — and some have even come back to Alief ISD as employees themselves. To her, this is the true meaning of “growing your own.”
Outside of the classroom, she is deeply committed to her family and faith. She supports her husband in his role as pastor of the Fourth Missionary Baptist Church and is a proud mother to three young men who love basketball and church activities. She treasures traveling with them and watching them grow.
Her advice to students considering a career in education is to join Alief’s Grow Your Own Initiative: “There is no better feeling than coming back ‘home’ and giving back to the place that poured into you.”
For her, success is not measured by titles or positions but by the impact left on students. She recalls one message from a former student who shared that he still carries his integrity with him — a lesson she taught every day. Moments like these remind her that her true success lies in shaping lives.
Looking back, she credits her education in Alief ISD with changing the course of her life. “It opened doors I didn’t have access to before and showed me that I could achieve my dreams.”
As she reflects on her journey, she offers words of encouragement to the Alief family:
“If I could share one message with staff, it would be to do what's good for kids all the time and be the light. For alumni, find out where you can make an impact in Alief. And for students — you really can start here, stay here, and go anywhere.”