One analyst credits the ‘Michelle Obama Effect’ and the first lady’s emphasis on fitness and healthy eating.

Source: Black women defy trend of declining life expectancies. What explains this miracle? – The Washington Post

This will largely be a pictorial journey of my past post-doc year since completing my Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.  I used this period of my life as a time to give back to the Columbus City Schools as a long-term substitute Science Teacher.  Although my sub license is designated for Adolescents to Young Adults (grades 7-12), I’ve have had the good fortune throughout this academic season to teach Pre-K through high school seniors.  What a blast and blessing!!  It was my experiences (and that of the students) while serving as the general science long-term sub teacher at West Senior High school for two years that provided the impetus from my returning to university study in order to obtain my doctorate.  God is opening doors to my destiny and my degree in Adult Education, Learning, and Organization Development has prepared me to better walk through those doors.

I’m visiting with family in advance of a campus interview up North tomorrow morning and saw this picture of us from over 20 years ago at my sister’s house.  This photo was taken during my time as Director of Intercultural Relations at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.  I’m sure my daughter was only about 11 years old at the time and my lil sister (City Councilwoman Sims) and I were in our mid-thirties.  What a great memory!!

This was during some ball soiree that my students asked me to chaperon for them.  It’s so funny because I don’t remember that my sister was there.  She said it was taken around the time of my birthday (Valentine’s Day); because someone gave me a scary stuff animal that I hated and I then regifted it to her. LOL  Nonetheless, I really love this photo of us!! ❤