I had the good fortune of growing up in an area with a world class public school system. My parents stressed the importance of education throughout my childhood. Deerfield High School was identified as one of the nation's top High Schools as part of the Excellence in Education initiative. I feel lucky to have received such a high quality education. I was awarded an Evans Scholarship which paid for my tuition at the University of Missouri. I graduated in May of 1996 and started my teaching career the following August. Being a teacher was every bit as educational as being a student. I continue to consider my self a student as there are always opportunities to learn.