Q. What is your official title?
Instructor of English
Q. When did you begin working at ENMU?
August 2014
Q. What is the history of your positions at ENMU?
I began as an Adjunct Faculty member and have taught English Composition since I was hired in August 2014. This is my first semester as a full-time instructor at ENMU. I teach ENG 097 (Basic Writing), ENG 102(English Composition), and ENG 104 (English Composition and Research).
Q. What does your department do and what are the main duties of your job
I am a part of the Languages and Literature Department, and the main duties of my job are teaching ENMU students how to become better, more confident academic writers.
Q. What have you enjoyed most about your job, and what have been the biggest challenges?
The best part about my job at Eastern is the interaction with the students. I especially enjoy watching students progress as writers while gaining confidence and realizing the benefits of a solid foundation in academic writing. I also enjoy seeing previous students around campus and catching up with them and the progression of their college classes.
I also enjoy my Languages and Lit colleagues; they make coming to work a fun, supportive experience.
It's always a challenge to work with a student who has so much potential but doesn't yet possess the motivation to succeed.
Q. What were you doing before you came to ENMU, and what other jobs have you held outside of ENMU?
Before I came to ENMU, I was a freelance writer. I focused on writing articles for consumer publications, specifically military family publications. My claim to fame as a freelance writer is the publication of one of my essays in Southern Living magazine. I also worked for a Department of Defense contractor as a technical editor and writer. That job was cool because it required a security clearance.
Q. What are your degrees and majors, and what activities did you participate in college?
I attended the University of Alabama for a year and a half before transferring to a smaller school. I finished my BA in English at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton. Much like ENMU, UWG is very student-focused, and I never felt like a number there (as opposed to U of A). I am a member of Kappa Delta sorority and participated in KD functions in undergraduate school.
I earned my Master's in Technical and Professional Communication from Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia.
Q. Where were you born, raised, and what was your life like growing up?
I was born and raised in Bowdon, Georgia, a small town of about 2,000 people. My parents (and their parents and their parents) were all born and raised in the same general area. The same is true of my in-laws (and their parents and their parents). Both of my parents are retired educators. My mom was an English teacher (surprise!) before she became an K-8 guidance counselor. My dad was also a guidance counselor and worked primarily with high school students. Education was always a priority in my house, and my parents still reinforce the importance of education to this day.
I have a younger brother, and we lived in the same house our entire childhood. In fact, my parents still live in that house. We both enjoyed roaming and playing in the woods surrounding our home. There was never a shortage of animals at our house, either. We always had either an outside dog or cat (often we had both), I had hamsters and gerbils, and we even had chickens and two evil roosters for a short period of time. A little ways up the road, my grandfather had a cattle farm, and I learned to drive his tractor long before I got behind the wheel of a car.
I cherish my rural upbringing and the small-town life I enjoyed as a child.
Q. Tell us about your own family?
You may be wondering how I made it from Georgia to Portales. My husband is active duty military and we have lived in six different states and overseas. This is our third time living in New Mexico, but it's our first time in the Clovis/Portales area. We have two daughters: Mattie was born in Florida and Caroline was born in Okinawa, Japan. Mattie loves musical theater and has a beautiful voice (I am not biased at all). Caroline plays volleyball, is on the archery team, and insists she will be running track in the spring. Thanks to our girls, there is never a shortage of excitement or activity in my life.
True to my upbringing, we have lots of animals. Moose is our dog and thinks he is a human. We have a sweet hamster named Strawberry and three evil chickens, Little Red, Henny Penny, and Rosie.
Q. What are your hobbies?
I love reading and will pretty much devour any book passed my direction.
I don't cook for fun, but eating is one of my favorite hobbies.
I love to plant and nurture flowers and watch them grow.
As a family, we enjoy camping, hiking, and backpacking.
I also enjoy scuba diving, but there's not much opportunity in my hectic life to do that right now.
Q. What is your ultimate career goal?
I like where I am in my career right now. If I have to choose a single goal, it's growing my knowledge about pedagogy as it pertains directly to the composition classroom.
Q. What gives your life meaning? Besides career goals, what else do you hope to accomplish?
My family gives my life meaning. I love what my husband and I have accomplished together, and I look forward to watching my children grow into adults and start their own careers and families.
Q. What is your general impression of Portales, and ENMU?
Since I'm from a small town and a graduate of a small university, I feel right at home. However, I would enjoy more trees and less wind!
