I became interested in helping persons with special needs in 1974. I worked as a dorm parent for severely handicapped teenaged girls at a school. This sparked my desire to become educated in this field. After graduating from VCU with honors, I went straight to work at an elementary school. This was only meant to be a fill-in position for a teacher on maternity leave. I began work on my Masters degree in Hearing Impairments. Before I was able to complete this, it became necessary for me to work full-time. I took another position as a fill-in in a county. I moved to North Carolina and began working at a mental health/mental retardation/substance abuse service. I worked with infants and then in their Vocational Program. Since that time, I have worked for an agency on aging. Presently, I work for myself doing what I can to help others.