equity- Autobiography

Autobiography


        Almost 36 years ago on December 1, 1974, I was born. My birth took place at San Jose Community Hospital. Before I was 2 my parents moved to Southern California. That was where my brother was born. He began to irritate me from day one. Shortly after he was born we moved to Milpitas, California. I was lucky enough to stay there through the first time I took third grade. Then the Ford plant closed where my dad was working (he lost his job) and our house got burglarized. My parents said enough and we moved to Wisconsin to live with my grandparents.

        The trip to Wisconsin was a very long 4 day trip in a Pinto. My grandparents lived in a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath trailer on property. There is nothing like sleeping in the dining area with your brother in the bed next to you. One of the morning chores is to put the hid a bed away. We had to catch the bus before the sun came up and take over an hour bus ride to school. My grandparents also smoked heavily in the house. Luckily we only had to live there for about 9 months. I spent most of my second year of third grade there (I was held back because of reading comprehension problems).

         My dad found a job in a foundry in Iron Mountain, Mi and a house in Niagara, Wisconsin. I then started the Niagara, Wisconsin public school system to finish up the second part of my third grade year. I had a lot of fun in Niagara. We had the cold, snowy winters which was great for snow ball fights, ice skating outside, and making snow forts. In the summer we had playing in the forest and the creeks. I brought home lots of frogs and toads. My fifth grade year I was able to learn how to play the trumpet. I was terrible. I parents made me practice in the basement with 2 doors closed. I stuck with it and made all the neighbor kids listen to me play. I was able to stay in Niagara through my fifth grade year. Then we found out my grandma Evanoff was really sick. We moved back to California. Nothing like having your mom tell you what ever you can fit in a moving box can go.

        Sixth-eighth grade we moved every year within nearby cities. We either shared a dwelling with family or lived in a 2 bedroom apartment during this time period. In sixth grade I was able to participate in a group called Young Astronauts. It was a great opportunity for me and since my aunt started the program in that area I was allowed to participate a year early. I was able to see the Hubble Space Telescope before it went in space. I was able to go to the state capital and launch model rockets. Sixth grade was also the first time that I got into a fight and it was with a boy that was picking on my brother. I told him to leave my brother alone or I would rearrange his face and he told me to try it so I did. I tried to punch him in the face and he blocked it, but I punched him so hard that he hit himself in the face. He left my brother alone and stayed away from me. This happened in the apartment complex that I lived in.

        In my eighth grade year was the second time that I fought with another kid other than my brother. A boy was teasing me and wouldn’t back off and eventually we got into a fight in the street. One of my friends broke it off.

         I found relief in sports and band in high school. In my ninth grade year I learned how to play field hockey. I loved it. It became a stress reliever for me. I volunteered to be goalie. I ended up being goalie for all 4 years. I played softball for 2 years. I used to have a great arm in softball. I could throw the ball from right field to home plate. I did a pretty good job of catching the ball, but my batting needed a lot of work. I became involved with Science Club. Science club gave me great opportunities to escape life and enjoy life for a bit. Through Science club I went on several trips including week long trips to Death Valley. We camped in the desert for a week with no electricity, running water, or toilets. I found out by high school my trumpet playing became a lot better. When you are the only trumpet player or one of two you have a tendency to work a little bit harder. Every piece you play is a solo. I had to deal with the death of my grandmother in my freshman year. It was hard because I was very close to her. I also had to deal with the ’89 earthquake that shook the bay area. There is nothing like having reality swing a hammer at your head. The earthquake was so strong that it knocked my bookshelf onto my water bed. I barely had enough room to get into my room. The reality part was if that quake would have happened in the middle of the night instead of the day, I would not be typing this blog right now. In my sophomore year I found out that my school was getting closed along with some others due to budget cuts. I had a little adjusting to do going into my new school my junior year. My junior year was a mix of the social and ethnic classes. If you didn’t go to the right middle school you were not easily accepted. There were a lot of fights on and off campus. No, none of the fights involved me. Being at this new school gave me 2 opportunities in band to travel to Disneyland to play. My senior year my grandpa remarried. I was very angry about his choice. I was very vocal about it. At the end of my senior year I moved to my aunt’s house. My parents moved back to Niagara shortly after graduated (1993). I was promoted at my job to assistant manager. My grandpa Baker was not doing well health wise and my brother was in a lot of trouble and going down the wrong path. They left without me this time.

           College came before I knew it. I decided to work full time and go to school part time at a junior college. Within a year of going to school, I new California was not the place for me. I moved to Oregon and lived with my cousins in Aumsville. My job allowed me to transfer. I worked for a year and then went back to school at Chemeketa and continued to work full time. During this time period my parents got divorced and my grandpa passed away (1995). I transferred from Chemeketa to Portland State. I quit my job and moved in with my boyfriend while I was attending PSU. That only lasted a year. When e broke up with me I found a job and a place to live within 2 weeks. I was out the door and on my own again. I have a wonderful aunt that paid for my housing while I was at PSU. I was taking 16-18 credits and working 20 hours per week. After the break up I reconnected with some old friends in Salem. That is how I met my current husband. After graduating from PSU (2002) I moved in with my fiancé. About eight months later I was married.

          I am still married and I have 2 wonderful boys. Sean is 6 and Jordan is 3 1/2. I have wanted to teach for a while. I was talking to my mom about it. I was going to wait until Jordan was in school and she told me to do it now. I talked to my husband and took her advice. I relearned everything that I forgot from high school and college in 5 week chunks to try and pass the exams needed to be a teacher. I volunteered in high school classrooms last year. For the last 2 years I have been a math tutor for middle school and high school students. I have tutored students in science over the last year. I have been a preschool teacher to Jordan and my friend’s daughter. I have also been supplementing school work for Sean to make him learn more and reinforce what he knows.
         I will have a lot to offer the students that I teach. I have gone through a lot in my life both positive and negative. With all of the moving that I have done has taught me how to make friends and the importance of good friends. I have also learned the importance of family and I understand that people have different home lives. I have experienced a loving family, but have seen my cousins being hit and yelled at by their father. I have seen what alcoholism can do to a family dinamic.I have experienced being poor and I  have experienced being middle class. I have lived in communities that have ranged in diversity. I believe that every student needs to find an outlet for life.This outlet can be sports, music, reading, etc.
        This is just a brief door that I have opened for you. I have believe that I am a stronger person for all that I have seen, dealt with, and enjoyed in my life so far. I believe that I will be able to relate to many students and I will have many stories to share with them.