Hey, gang! Welcome to my class! Just to tell you a little bit about myself, let me first say that I once sat where you are sitting. Yes, I am an AHS graduate. When I graduated in 19#% as 8th in my class, I went to the University of North Texas, where I graduate Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Communication Studies (the art of talking, building relationships, and understanding human motivations across various personal and professional fields) and minored in English. I have worked in finance, title insurance, non-profit, and self-employed capacities.
Eventually, after scraping together a living for my son and myself, I sat back and evaluated what I wanted to do. What did I enjoy doing? The answer came back: reading, thinking about what I have read, discussing what I've read, and getting others excited to read the same thing. So, I made the decision to uproot my son from our home in Fort Worth, move back to East Texas, and start working toward my Masters in English at the University of Texas at Tyler. I graduated December of 2010 with a 4.0. I am pretty proud of that.
All of this is to say that I really enjoy what I do. I could make, and have made more money doing something else. I am here because I want to be. I love literature! It is the cheapest vacation you can ever take. For however long you immerse yourself in it, you can leave your present self and become someone else entirely. I hope that by the end of the year, you come to share at least a little bit of my joy for the English language and all its nuances.