| Thank you, Parents, for your support as we worked together to educate your children. |
Thank you, District 81, for trusting me with a portion of the education of the area's children. |
I have had forty-three wonderful years in public education, as a teacher and administrator, working with the young people of three communities, in Washington and California. The last thirteen years here in Spokane have been outstanding. Thank you, District 81, for trusting me with the community's greatest resource: the children.
To the students with whom I have had the opportunity to work, I wish to challenge you once again. You can do it.
For those who are discouraged by the education process, you, too, can achieve.
I am living proof that one's desire to achieve can overcome negative expectations of teachers, counselors, and administrators. Being neither a good reader nor a hard worker in elementary and high school, I was told that I should not go on to college because I "would not be able to do the work." In other words, I was too dumb to succeed in college.
After graduating from college and doing three years of graduate work with a GPA of 3.25, I was told by the university administration that my test score indicated that I would not be able to write an acceptable thesis for a Masters Degree. Again, I was too dumb. After pleading my case, and with the help of the chairman of the Department of Education, it was agreed that if I were able to write an acceptable paper, the university would grant me a Masters Degree. Following a year of research and writing, I received the degree in School Administration.
Belief in my God-given ability and a strong commitment to complete the work, I began a doctoral program. I finally received a Doctorate of Education in School Administration twenty-nine years after I finished high school
My advice to all who read this is: Do not give up your dreams, regardless of what others may say, keep working at the speed you can be successful and have a strong trust in God to help you be successful. Always believe in yourself and you, too, can achieve your desired dream.
