All about me :)

All About Me

This is me, Athene, at a friend's wedding in October 2003.

Well, I'm aging! Here are some old pictures of me, if you are curious.

My College and my Work

First, I graduated from East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas in December 2000. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.84. My degree is in Elementary Education with specializations in English and Reading.

Then what happened?

I worked for about 8 months as a Project Specialist with Texas A&M Texarkana. I worked at the Cypress Valley Education Center in Jefferson, Texas, mainly concerning the Virtual Field Trip Network, a series of curriculum units designed by classroom teachers with field trips that will be on the Internet. It was a neat project of which I was glad to be a part!

Next, I spent two years teaching at Waskom Middle School in Waskom, Texas. This was the adventure of life!! My first year, I taught math and English to seventh graders. The second year, I taught math to seventh and eighth grade. During this time, I learned a great deal about myself and about how deeply ingrained a teacher becomes into the lives of others. I had a lot of fun with my students. I enjoyed working with many of them and watching them--especially the class I had for two years in a row!!

        During those two years, I gained a TRUE admiration of those teachers who make this their
        life's career. Teaching (and all that it entails) takes every ounce of your life! You live and
        breathe and struggle and work and plan for a life that doesn't give much back in return. I
        gained a lot of respect for my own teachers during this time as I walked in their shoes for a
        change!

After two years, I was ready to try something new...so.....

I became the assistant manager at the Marshall Cinema! What a change from teaching this was!! Instead of grading papers, I run the movie projectors!! Instead of disciplining students, I sell tickets and count money! Instead of typing up lesson plans, I pop popcorn. Crazy, right!!

        So now I work in a totally different environment. I still work with "children", but now my
        "children" are my employees.....or the teenagers we have to corral on the weekends! Either
        way, this is a fun and enjoyable environment, and I'm glad to be involved in it.

Little Tidbits about my Life

David Hopkins and I got married on May 25, 2002. We have a long and fun story to tell here.

We live in a cute apartment in Marshall Texas. Marshall is a small town of about 25,000. I do still sometimes miss my hometown of Texas City (and being close to Houston!) but I do enjoy Marshall and am glad to be here.

I am a Christian and attend a Baptist Church. You can read more about my faith here if you are interested.

I have been a vegetarian for quite a few years now, and this seems to bring a lot of curiosity from other people...hehehe. I don't understand exactly why it is so fascinating, but it is a good conversation starter. My Small Guide to Meatless Eating contains a lot of information about eating vegetarian at various restaurants.

I love gummi worms! Did you know that gummi worms are not a vegetarian item? They have some form of animal fat in them. ooops. However, they are just too good. I can make one exception!

My favorite color is blue. I'm sure that, after viewing this page, you are not surprised.

My favorite flower is the white rose, the symbol of purity. I also love pansies. They look like little faces. :)

I enjoy reading. I am finally getting time to do this again! My favorite books are Christian fiction books. I have really enjoyed reading a series called The Mitford Years by Jan Karon. The books are about small-town life and are hilarious.

I collect polar bears. So far, I have over 400! Here is a picture of my old room. It is now vastly different, but it'll give you a good idea of the collection.

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