Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost

I come from a family of teachers. My great-great-grandfather Julius Montfort Yoder, great-great-uncle Herman Yoder, and great-aunt Ethel Shaw worked extremely hard, with very little resources, to educate children in the first half of the twentieth century in a South still recovering from the ravages of the War Between the States. They worked in cramped, one room schoolhouses to educate children who, for the most part, would work on the family farm once they finished school. They valued education and showed their students that there was more to the world than cotton bales and cotton gins, and that the world extended further than their community.

Today, having entered a new millennium, I believe that I am also guiding students through turbulent times. I chose to teach school because I thought I could make a difference in the lives of my students. Over the past couple of years, I can truly state that I have achieved this goal. Many students that I taught in previous years have contacted me to let me know that all I have done has not been in vain. They carry lessons taught about social studies and life to this day. I hope that I have shown them the value of education and that the world extends beyond the boundaries of Columbia, just my ancestors did. Representing Dent Middle School as Teacher of the Year was quite an honor for me. To be recognized by my peers is a great acknowledgement and one that I will always treasure.