From Teen Mom to Doctorate: The Long Way to Becoming Me
My story isn’t perfect. It’s real. And somewhere along the way, I learned that starting over isn’t failure. Sometimes it’s how we find our way forward.
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My Story
I never officially graduated from high school.
I was a teen mom in November of my senior year. I switched to night school where I ended up teaching the other students more than learning myself. Then my parents moved me to California abruptly before graduation, and I never received my diploma.
For years, I felt behind. Stuck. Like I’d never catch up to where I “should” be.
But I kept going.
At 25, I joined the Air Force — without a diploma, based solely on my transcript credits. The military gave me structure, purpose, and a path forward when I couldn’t see one.
I raised two daughters as a single mom while working my way through multiple careers — from Best Buy sales, to environmental database administrator to construction project management to education to program leadership. I started my bachelor’s degree at 30, earned my master’s at 40, and completed my doctorate in Special Education Curriculum and Instruction at 55.
Along the way, I also became a widow. I learned to manage survivor benefits, build financial security on a teacher’s salary, and create an investment portfolio while rediscovering myself.
I learned everything the hard way. I didn’t have mentors. I didn’t have people showing me the path. I figured it out through trial, error, and sheer determination.
And that's exactly why I can help you.
Resilience, Purpose, and Lifelong Learning
I live in Middleburg, Florida. I’m a mother of two incredible daughters, four stepdaughters, and one stepson who’ve taught me as much as I’ve taught them. I’m a widow who learned what it means to begin again while grieving. I’m an educator who believes in lifelong learning. And I’m a woman who knows what it’s like to feel invisible, behind, and overlooked — and still chose to keep going.
Bring This Conversation to Your Audience
Through keynote speaking, workshops, and conversations, I help audiences recognize what’s keeping them in “not yet” and consider what waiting may be costing them.
If you’re planning an event, conference, workshop, or gathering and looking for a speaker who brings honesty, lived experience, and a practical message about taking the next step, let’s talk.
I’ve watched myself and other women hold back from opportunities, stay too long in situations that no longer fit, and postpone the things we really want to do.
We tell ourselves we need more time. More experience. More certainty. We need to feel ready.
But I’ve learned that waiting has a cost.
That realization became the heart of BrightFi Living and the work I do today through writing, speaking, and workshops: helping people recognize what is keeping them in “not yet” and take the next step toward what comes next.
Because you don’t have to be ready. You just have to be willing to take the next step.
Education:
- EdD in Special Education Curriculum and Instruction — Liberty University, 2023
- MA in Education — University of Phoenix, 2016
- BS in Business Administration — University of Phoenix, 2004
PROFESSIONAL FOCUS:
- Keynote Speaking
- Workshops & Facilitation
- Writing & Storytelling
- Personal and Professional Transitions
Experience:
- 10+ years teaching in Florida and South Carolina school districts (Sumter, Florence, Williamsburg)
- Program Director, Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club
- U.S. Air Force Veteran
- Environmental Engineering
- Project Manager in construction and architecture industries
I don't do fake positivity. I don't do guru energy. I don't pretend I had it easy.
What I do:
• Tell stories about starting over, changing direction, and taking the next step when I wasn’t sure I was ready
• Talk honestly about what worked, what didn’t, and what I learned along the way
• Challenge the idea that we have to feel ready before we move forward
• Help audiences recognize what may be keeping them stuck in “not yet”
• Give people something practical to take with them: one next step they can actually take
I am who I am because I kept moving forward, even when the path didn’t look anything like I expected.
From becoming a mother as a teenager, to military service, career changes, earning my doctorate, teaching, loss, and starting over again, I’ve learned that there is rarely a perfect time to begin.
Your story isn’t over. What comes next is still yours to write.
