I knew I wanted to be an educator since the 1st grade. My teacher, Mrs. Bonnie Schwenke, had a classroom presence like none other and made me truly want to come to school each day. I learned so many new things but most importantly, she taught me to believe in myself. I was a very shy, introverted little girl, but after that year in her classroom, I really came out of my shell and began to look at the world around me differently. I was honored to be able to student teach in her classroom the year before she retired from education.