So what changed for you, and brought you back to SFHS as a teacher?
When I started high school, I had wanted to be a teacher, probably early elementary. I took a lot of art classes then. As I went through high school, I discovered that I had a passion for marketing, and took so many of those classes that I wanted to pursue that. I realized quickly during my marketing major just how much math was involved - accounting, finance, economics, even calculus - which were not my best areas. That led me to advertising, but I decided to narrow my career path to possibly event planning or hospitality, which is why i studies public relations. When I was a senior in college, I realized my desire for teaching was still there, so I stayed at the University of Georgia to earn a master’s degree in marketing education to blend my two passions.
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This is now my ninth year as a high school marketing teacher at SFHS, and I think I have the best job in the world. SFHS prepared me incredibly well.  I worked with real businesses in my high school marketing classes. When I started UGA, I was surprised that we wouldn’t really work with a real business in our classes until junior or senior year. Most of my first level classes in marketing, advertising, and public relations covered material I already learned in my marketing classes at South.

What were some of your best high school memories?
When I was in high school, DECA organized the homecoming dance. Each year I enjoyed helping with homecoming, but my senior year I really had the opportunity to lead the planning and carry out my vision for the dance. We got the miss an entire day of classes to decorate. It was a blast. Getting to take on leadership roles in DECA and some other organizations, like National Technical Honor Society and Key Club, helped me grow as a person and were also a lot of fun.
Lots of my best high school memories are from hanging out in places my current students would think are “really far away.” Hanging out at places like North Point Mall, The Regal Movie Theater at Medlock Crossing, and the Forum in Norcross. We were not lucky enough the have the Collection across the street yet. 

Would you recommend students who aren't interested in marketing and business still take some of your classes?
Absolutely! As a PR major, I learned a large amount of journalism and writing skills, and I bring those lessons into my classes to help my students become better writers. I tell students all the time that there are a huge number of applications for what we learn in marketing classes - you can apply what we teach in marketing to almost any profession. Want to be a doctor? You've got to know how to market your practice. A lawyer? Now is the time to develop your public speaking and writing skills! A dentist? How are you going to get new patients? A stay-at-home mom? You have to understand how to manage a budget. We also teach interview skills in our classes. No matter what you do, you will most likely need to interview. 

As a teacher, what things would you tell students to think about besides academics?
The sincerest advice I could give would be to not spend so much time worrying about homework, AP classes, studying, GPA, tests, etc. My advice would be to go to football games, go to homecoming, compete in DECA, compete in anything. Challenge yourself in ways not directly tied to your GPA. Put your phone down. Talk to the awkward kid. Thank your parents. Think about your beliefs. Uninstall social media even if just for a small amount of time. Make new friends. Get an after school job. Look people in the eye.  Most of all, enjoy the high school experience, because you only get to do it once - unless you come right back after college and stay in high school forever. 

Therapy from the University of North Georgia in 2017. I also hold a certification in therapeutic Dry Needling from the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy. I am currently a pediatric physical therapist - I treat children from birth to age 18 in the home and in a clinical setting.

What experiences at South led you to your career as a physical therapist?
Fitness was always a passion for me - it’s a piece of my life I greatly cherish. My experience on the track team, in my weight training classes, and being on staff of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes gave me a passion for health, wellness, exercise, and studying sports medicine. I also had a passion to help people. I had volunteered for years with kids' ministry programs at my church. I had all of these passions with no clue how to really merge them together.

During one of my athletic training clinical rotations at UGA, there was a man with cerebral palsy who helped out in the training room. He asked me what my plans were after I graduated and I told him I was going to continue school to become a sports medicine physical therapist. He looked at me and without hesitation asked, “Why don’t you want to work with people like me? If I had a therapist like you when I was a child - motivating, kind, supportive- I don’t think I would be as limited in my mobility as I am today. I didn’t take it seriously then because I didn’t have a therapist who cared the way you do.”

I could barely keep it together. It was such a triggering moment for me. When I got to PT school my passion for pediatrics quickly took over. I have a lot of skills now and can treat a variety of kids with that skill set. I think that conversation was God’s way of telling  me: here, here is how you will blend these passions.

​With what types of children do you do physical therapy?
I primarily treat children with developmental disabilities. I treat some in their home through a state program called Babies Can’t Wait, but I also treat in a clinical setting. Some of my kids are very medically involved and my job is to make them as independent and mobile as possible to maximize their quality of life and reduce their risk of other medical complications. You’d be surprised how much getting a child to sit independently or crawl on all fours can improve their overall demeanor, give them hope, and reduce their risk of pulmonary and orthopedic complications in the future. It’s all about early intervention - the earlier you can help a kid and improve their function, the better their quality of life. 

Some of my kids aren’t as medically fragile and we do a lot of balance activities, muscular training, endurance training, and coordination activities to help them function better in their environment. A kid’s ultimate job is to PLAY. The better we can get them moving, the better opportunity they have to learn and function well in their day to day life.

Working with the children you do now, how does that influence how you reflect on your time in high school?
When you work with medically fragile kids you realize how wrapped up we are at times in things that ultimately don’t matter. I stressed so much about so many things that were pointless to stress over. This job gives me perspective that I know I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have the opportunity to work with these kids and families.

Looking back at high school, I wish I had spent more time with friends outside of school. I studied ALL the time. My teachers and coaches at South had high expectations of me, and I had high expectations of myself. All of my time in athletics holds a special place in my heart. My passion was born in my athletic experiences in high school and I am forever grateful for that time, the friendships born, and the memories made. That dedication and perseverance sometimes seemed excessive, and looking back now, I’ll admit I probably could have pulled it back a bit and taken a few deep breaths. It brought me a lot of success, but I do wish sometimes I had cherished time with people more. Relationships are what build the most success - and the most valuable memories.

What advice would you give current South Forsyth High School students?
I think it's very healthy for students to take a minute away from the stress of the tests and college applications and peer pressure and think...really think about what activities give them joy. What activities do they thrive in? What activities give them drive and passion to do better and be better? Often times students find themselves seeking a career strictly for the potential to make a lot of money. But at some point, your passion will seep through and you’ll find yourselves at a crossroads - do I do what makes me happy or do I stick with this because it’s safe or it's what I always said I would do? It takes time and focus to answer that “what is my passion” question so I would really urge students to take some time away from the academic environment on the weekends or on week nights to explore careers they find interesting - talk with their parents, talk to professionals, talk to friends, do an internship, etc. - find what makes them tick...then go find someone doing that and figure out how to do it yourself. Be open minded. High school is a small portion of your life; spend time with people who broaden your views of the world and what your role could be in it - who challenge you to be better, and who lift you up.