About Me

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.”
― Dr. Seuss

Hi my name is Ashley and I am a Senior at FGCU. I am studying Elementary education and would like to teach the 4th grade. I was born and raised in Pensacola, Fl and have one sister. I also have a dog named Lucky and a kitty named Sailor. I love reading and growing up my favorite books were Nancy Drew. In the summer I work at a summer sailing camp called Camp Don Lee in Arapahoe, NC. Working at CDL is what made me want to become a teacher.                     
My parents are still together and my mom was a stay at home mother when I was growing up while my dad worked as a chemist. They are both retired now and travel all the time. We recently traveled to Bonaire N.A. Growing up I was always involved with dance, ballet, modern, tap, and hip hop. I continued with dance until I graduated High School. When I was in fourth grade my sister and I started taking Piano lessons and I continued that for a few years but I never really enjoyed it, but I got third place in my first and only piano competition J. In high school I was a member of the Color Guard and we traveled all over for competitions. We were able to go to Hawaii with the band my sophomore year. For indoor guard that year we placed 13th at Worlds.

My senior year of High School I joined the dance team and was a member of the Spanish club and the President of Key Club.

I attended Montessori Preschool until I started Kindergarten. I went to R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School and then was able to go back my Senior year of High School to work in a first grade classroom for my Early Childhood Education program. I went to Ransom Middle School for 6^th-8^th grade and J.M. Tate High School for 9^th -12^th grades. I always made good grades and enjoyed History. My favorite teachers were always the History teachers.

JOURNEY TO TEACHING 

I always wanted to be a teacher but I never thought I would have the patience for it. I decided with the help of my father that I wanted be a physical therapist when I was in 8^th grade. That was my plan until my junior year of college. I was a Sunday school teacher for 3 years at my church when I was in high school. I knew I loved kids but I really didn’t think I could be around them everyday. While I was in high school I joined the Early Childhood Education program, which meant that for two class periods a day I would learn how to plan and teach lessons for elementary age students. I was assigned a class at a local elementary school and would go into there for two hours twice a week to tutor and work with the students. I got my 40 hour certificate out of the class and learned what it was like to be in an actual classroom. The summer before my junior year of college my roommate convinced me to work at Don Lee as a counselor and I had NO idea what I was getting myself into! 16 kids a week (8 girls 8 boys) 24 hours a day. The ages ranged from 1^st grade to seniors in high school. I was responsible for my campers and really enjoyed being around them! I had a kid get bit by a squid, another with a tick in her belly button, kids with learning disabilities and kids that were just clueless and it was the best summer of my life. I love it and this summer it will be my third summer. After that first summer of camp I knew that I could be a teacher, if I could be around the kids 24 hours a day I could do it for 7 hours easy J. I love teaching students and having them work as a team. Camp has taught me that you have to be able to adjust to any situation and that is a strength that I believe will help me as a teacher. I love reading and would like to go to grad school to focus on reading education.