Catching Up With Time

Or maybe time is just catching up with me.
I've been super busy the last week or so.

I finally finished Physics! Go me! Turns out I stressed myself out, my whole college career (5 years), on that class and guess what... it wasn't that bad! Going into my final yesterday (Tuesday) I had a 93.3 in the class. I'm terrible at math and I knew Physics was going to be hard for me because of the math... and it wasn't. That's the good part about building something up to be a lot worse, there are only two ways to go 1) as bad as you plan on it being or 2) way better than you ever expected! I got the better end of the deal, it turned out to be way better than I expected! YAY! I should know my final grade sometime this week.

Other good news is I informally got accepted to graduate school at The University of Alabama. For those of you who don't know after 5 years of putting my nose in the books I've decided I want to be a teacher. I know what your thinking, "your degree has nothing to do with education". True, but that doesn't mean I don't want to use my B.S. degree because I do. My long term goal is to become a Secondary Education Teacher and use Athletic Training as a supplement. Athletic training is so demanding on time and family, I wanted to give myself and option so that when I'm tired of traveling and want to have a normal life and family I can. So no worries (especially to my mother who always freaks out over everything).

I'm going to keep applying to other graduate school though, I'm not convinced that I want to stay in Tuscaloosa for the next two years. I love it here, don't get me wrong, but I want to travel and see new places. Besides, isn't that what you're suppose to do when you're in your twenties? I've got my whole life ahead of me to settle down. You only live once. I'm thinking California or Oregon or North Carolina, just somewhere different. Somewhere I can spread my wings and be me, for once. My entire life I've lived in the shadows of a road that was paved out for me. I'm very thankful for that. Without the help of my parents and their wonderful words of wisdom, advise, plan for "our" lives, etc. I would still be in small town USA probably struggling to get by and I'm grateful I don't have to live like that. I've followed the plan and completed it. School, Sports, School, Hard Work, School, Graduate, College, Graduate. May 5th I finish the sequence my parents mapped out for me and I'm ready to embark on my own plan and start developing one for my future family.

Why be a teacher? "They don't get paid very well." Or at least that's what I feel like I hear every time I even mention it. What people don't see is that, money isn't everything. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot because you need to have a job you can support yourself and family with, however, it's not everything. You see, for me being a teacher is so much more. I owe a lot of my raising to many of the teachers I had in elementary school, middle, and high school. Sure, the education system has got to where it sucks pretty bad. For example: Passing kids when they don't deserve it, stupid "No Child Left Behind". It wasn't necessarily what I learned from a textbook that I remember though or stuck with me. This is what I remember:

• Kindergarten (Mrs. Childress)- Everyone has the potential to be your friend and you have the potential to be theirs. It's what you do with that potential that defines you. You hang out with the kids who are "better suited" to be your friend or you are a friend to everyone. I learned that being everyone's friend is the better option.
• 1st grade (Mrs. Lesley)- After months of teasing by a particular classmate, my teacher looked me in the eye and said "Don't worry about what he says, I think you are the most beautiful young lady in this classroom." I had cried for weeks and weeks and after she told me that, I don't believe I cried about it again. 
• 2nd grade (Mrs. Jenkins)- I met my absolute best friend in the entire world, Lindsey McCormick. But most importantly I learned safety measures in the event of a tornado, which quite possibly saved my life back in April. 
• 3rd grade (Mrs. Brown)- I learned to read and my multiplication tables. The gift of literacy can never be taken away. She also taught me despite rules to stand up for what you believe in. Thank you for always letting us say The Lord's Prayer before lunch. Thank you for standing up in what you believed in.
• Now, I'm going to fast forward several years. Although, I could honestly but a bullet for every teacher I ever had.
• 7th-8th grade (Coach Williams)- Hard work and dedication will get you anything you've ever dreamed about. He also taught me that there are other adults in the world, beside my parents, who care about me and believe in me.
• 9th-12th
• (Coach Littleton and Coach Hinton)- They taught me to never give up when you know someone's potential. After a few ACL surgeries later, I'm glad they never gave up on me because I got to finish athletic career at the same level I started. They taught me to be a leader.
• (Mrs. Jones)-  She helped me find my way to The University of Alabama. She came to every basketball game I ever played. She'd let me have a bad day and cry on her shoulder. She saw my potential and told me the qualities I had that make me great. She taught me a lot about life in general and never sugar-coated it and said it'll be easy. That's the best advice I ever received in my entire life. Paved a Christian path I hope to follow in.
• (Mrs. Bates)- Gave me insight to different ways of living. Allowed me to travel Europe with her. After a friend's death in high school-- she understood, she let me cry, and then told me I was going to have to pull myself together. I'm glad she did that, otherwise I'd probably still be grieving today. Exuded Christ everyday, it's like you could see him beaming from her. I hope my light shines as does hers. Most importantly she's still one of the best friend's I have. 
• (Mrs. Ballentine)- Never giving up on me. Helped me numerous times after I graduated just because she cared. Thanks to her I passed college math and physics. 

I want to be those people to children. I want to teach children yes, from a textbook, but more importantly I want to teach them the things they'll carry with them their entire lives. Who cares if they remember who fought who in the battle of 1812? Or the plot of Grendel ? Or how to dissect and pig. It's what they learn about life that is important. Again, all the textbook information is important especially for children who want to go to college. For some children, school is a way to shape their lives and help rid them of all the bad that surrounds them. It's a way to not follow the horrific footsteps their parents left before them. Every child has the potential to be great, they just need to know it. School isn't just about preparing children to go to college, it  helps to shape paths for those who never will.

Off my soap box now. In other news, I start my internship at The University of South Alabama July 6th. I'm really excited. Who knows, maybe I'll make a good impression and walk away with a job... that would be AWESOME. Not getting my hopes up though!

August is looking up as well. I'm planning a road trip with my friend Katelyn to Wilmington, NC. I could not be more excited!

Till next time (John 3:30-- Look it up!),
Karah