“You know, all of our lives we’ve given. Never been on the receiving end. Didn’t know what it was like. I’ve learned now why I give. Being on the receiving end, you understand what people go through. I don’t think I...
“I knew that I wanted to become a special education teacher. But life throws you curves sometimes. I graduated high school six months pregnant with my daughter, and I got married right away. Later on, I had a son. By the...
Jennifer Nerf directs a program that provides tools to help students with high-functioning pervasive developmental disorders, including autism, social communication disorder, anxiety disorder and other related challenges. Related: Teacher offers understanding, guidance to students Life’s curves can’t stop special education...
“I want my students to be advocates for themselves. One of my girls last year was having issues in class, and she came to my room mad. She said, ‘That’s it. We’re going into that class. We’re teaching them about autism.’...
“I was premature, a seven-month baby. My mom said that I passed right after birth. My heart stopped, but they brought me back. “I was in an incubator for 10 days. On the eighth day my heart stopped again, and they...
“When I was young, I used to climb a tree in the front yard and sit up there listening to my little GE radio. I remember thinking that one day, I’m going to sing a song. I’m going to go to...
Ray Covey is a life-long Elvis Presley fan. So much so that he has spent more than 25 years performing as an Elvis tribute artist. By day, the hearing-impaired man is a hearing health care practitioner. Related: ‘I kept thinking,...
“One of my former coworkers at Whataburger is 65. He has a really kind heart. He’s a really generous guy. He raised two grandsons for years, but one recently passed away. “They both suffered from muscular dystrophy and were confined to...
“One of my biggest fears was whether my art would really stand out. I wasn’t sure if people would accept my work as being authentic and original. I wanted to know if I could actually make a living doing this. “When...
“I remember when I was young, my mom would write all of her kids’ names down on paper. She had this beautiful handwriting. She also would draw a flower over and over, the same flower. She drew only with an ink...
