Everybody has a “why”, a reason that they do what they do.
Mine is to create great change in all the children I work with, to support their families, and to help each child develop the underlying skills that will help them reach their full potential.
This is why I get up each day, and why I love working with children.
But the “why behind my why” is my mother.
When I was 19, my mother was diagnosed with an illness called ALS, more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. I remember thinking it was a type of cancer. I had never heard of it before. Lou Gehrig’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It causes muscle weakness, stiffness, atrophy, and eventually paralysis. It is a terminal illness.
I was determined to cure my mother, and I believed that I could do it, despite doctors telling us that there was nothing we could do. I researched ALS, learned about homeopathic medicine, and signed her up for every possible therapy. I did everything I could think of to bring her muscles back to life.
Week by week, I would watch as her various physical therapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists would come into our house. They were all helping her to regain strength, but I knew what we needed was a miraculous cure.
One day, my mother said to me, “Kerri, I want you to go back to school and become a teacher. You would be so wonderful as a teacher.” She saw something in me that I didn’t know was there. She saw a helping spirit, a passion for healing, and a talent for working with children. She was telling me to move forward with my life, and to put my passion to good use. I knew I should listen, but at the moment, being a teacher was the farthest thing from my mind! I was pouring all my energy and passion into healing her.
But mother’s truly do know what’s best. The day she passed away, I enrolled in school, and several years later, received my M.S. degree in Special Education. It was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I have never looked back!
I don’t frequently tell this story, but I think it’s important to understand where my passion comes from. Initially, it was from my mother and her encouragement of me going into teaching. As I gained more experience through my early years in teaching, I began to see positive changes in the kids I was working with. I would hear more words out of a child with a speech delay. I would watch a child who previously ran away during circle time, happily sit down and join in our hello song. I would see these kids who had so many challenges slowly overcome them, one step at a time. And I knew that I had a gift for helping them.
I feel like the luckiest person in the world because every day I get to see positive growth and help children in their development. In many ways, teaching chose me. And nothing would make my mother prouder than seeing how far I have come in this journey. This is my calling. My mother knew it, and now I know it too!