“Well I got my degree in 2006 from Baker University and Overland park. I was an undergrad here in town so I had to drive to Overland Park.  Took classes graduated 2006 with Masters in Arts and a scholarship and took the Iclick test scored pretty high on that.  I applied at some places but I didn’t get a lot of interview choices so I continued to teach and I got to a point in my career that I was okay with not being able to be principal because I liked the community and I live here.  There was a lot of buy-in for me and I was able to coach and be part of this district for 20 some years.  So I was okay with not getting it but then this position came open for full time and I had been quarter time for five or six years and so it came along and I mean I tried for it and if I didn’t get it I was still gonna be a teacher and stay in the same district.  I mean I wasn’t gonna move out of the district. I mean I like change but not like my change in my career, I’ve set roots here. All my kids attended these schools I live in the community that I work in.  There’s a lot of roots here for me. I grew up in Lawrence and was relatively close to Baldwin.  I was okay with it personally if I did not get the job and I mean am I glad I got it I mean yeah and I’m enjoying it and it’s a different kind of busy.  I still get to be around the kids a lot. I do miss some of the coaching at times but I still get to do the A.D part and I’m still around sports, I still get to watch you guys compete and that’s always a big deal for me.  You know ultimately it all comes down to kids.  For me my whole life revolves around kids. I spend a lot of time at school.  Personally I meet with a small group of junior high kids at the church I attend at Lawrence on Wednesday nights.  I go with them to camp when I’m a camp sponsor in the summertime for a week.  I coach the kids rec basketball team and I mean I have a lot of community ties.”