Middle School Years
Philadelphia was one of my favorite places to go to school and live. I had been considered an advanced mathematics student in Texas, but I was challenged at Sandy Run Middle School. It took time for me to adjust, but I enjoyed classes. I made the ice hockey team and it was huge for me because I had played roller hockey since kindergarten in Texas. I got to play "real hockey" at Sandy Run and couldn't imagine life getting any better.
We came to Philadelphia because my dad was promoted within Tenet Healthcare Corporation. It is my understanding that he saved the company 61 million dollars with his strategies and advice in 2001. It was shortly after one of his best years at work that he was diagnosed with an acoustic nueroma cranial tumor. My family moved to Tennessee so that he could take a less strenuous position following his surgery. I watched as he fought to recover his ability to speak normally and function as an efficient healthcare executive. My dad has since opened his own independent consulting company. He is my hero for his endurance and confidence in the face of harsh adversity.
I was in the lunch room talking to my friend when the news about the twin towers broke. The silence was deafening at first, but then all of the kids began to talk. A few students had been to New York before. We all listened intently as those students told the rest what they knew about the World Trade Center. I remember feeling lucky that my parents and siblings were all okay. Instead of feeling fear, I felt called to join the men and women that rose to defend our nation in the time of crisis.
We came to Philadelphia because my dad was promoted within Tenet Healthcare Corporation. It is my understanding that he saved the company 61 million dollars with his strategies and advice in 2001. It was shortly after one of his best years at work that he was diagnosed with an acoustic nueroma cranial tumor. My family moved to Tennessee so that he could take a less strenuous position following his surgery. I watched as he fought to recover his ability to speak normally and function as an efficient healthcare executive. My dad has since opened his own independent consulting company. He is my hero for his endurance and confidence in the face of harsh adversity.
I was in the lunch room talking to my friend when the news about the twin towers broke. The silence was deafening at first, but then all of the kids began to talk. A few students had been to New York before. We all listened intently as those students told the rest what they knew about the World Trade Center. I remember feeling lucky that my parents and siblings were all okay. Instead of feeling fear, I felt called to join the men and women that rose to defend our nation in the time of crisis.