He told me he spent most of his life in California, before moving to Texas about a year ago. He told me he voted for Hilary Clinton. Then I asked if he had any concerns following the election. “At the end of the day, it … Continue readingPost-presidential election, his focus is on family
“I lived in California most all of my life, but my family’s roots are in the South. Back in the 1950s, my great aunt and other black students were traveling over 20 miles to school every day when there was another school much closer. My … Continue readingHis great aunt fought segregation in the South
“I’ve always been afraid of moving forward and seeing where life is going to lead me. When I graduated high school, everybody was trying to go to a big university but I was too afraid to leave. So I went to college back home for … Continue readingCollege student battling through fear of change
“Answering 911 calls can be very horrifying and breathtaking and everything else. You’re talking on the radio. You’re talking on the phone. You’re dealing with officers, paramedics, firefighters, and citizens who are very upset. “What helps me is PCP: patience, compassion and professionalism. You have … Continue readingPatience, compassion, professionalism are key
“I’ve handled so many 911 calls through the years, they tend to blur together. But I guess there’s one that really stands out from when I first started working here. “A child called. I think she was 6 years old. She said that her daddy … Continue readingDomestic abuse call sticks with 911 dispatcher
“I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992. At the time I was thinking, I can live with this. My mom freaked out. But I told her, ‘It’s not cancer. It’s not AIDs. It’s not going to kill me. It’s going to be a pain … Continue readingMultiple sclerosis survivor doing well on her own
“I feel like I hit the ground running in life too early. I grew up too fast. It was more a case of me not taking things as seriously as I should have. My priorities weren’t straight. “I didn’t grow up with a father around, … Continue readingYoung father wants to be there for his daughter
“Where we lived in New York, it wasn’t the best environment. We had trouble finding a good place where my mother felt safe, so we moved around a lot. My mom would always try to protect us and isolate us from certain people. I didn’t … Continue readingShe uses bullying experience to help her brother
“I think a lot about starting my own business. I have a lot of different ideas that I’d like to try. There’s this saying that in business, you have to fail seven times before you can succeed, or something like that. Obviously, I’m not hoping … Continue readingFuture business owner has some ‘sweet’ dreams
“I was always a book person. The library was my summer job when I was in high school. By the time I was a junior in college I started thinking, what am I going to do with my English degree? That’s when I switched over … Continue readingSchool librarian shares her love of books