Ever since my daughter could walk/talk she wanted to become a teacher. She would have her grandma be her student during the day, and me and her dad in the evening. She had an easel and chair and would mimic her teachers right down to wanting the same shoes they wore! I tried to change her mind by getting her in to activities at the hospital and taking a CNA course. During her clinicals at a community nursing home I would pick her up and hope that she hadn’t packed up someone to bring home with her. She told me one day “mom, I can’t do this”. I realized then that that was my dream for her not hers. She went on to college at LLCC and then UIS graduating with a degree in psychology and a minor in education. She started teaching school and I would visit her class from time to time. I saw that my daughter was a natural. She has gone on to get a master degree in reading. She has a passion for teaching children and she tries to make her classroom like a second home for her students. She tells her students if you can read you can go anywhere. She goes beyond in the classroom having activities for her students that she pays for herself. I admire and am so proud of her.