Student Loan Weight

I have been married to the same wonderful man for 18 years and together we are raising 2 amazing children. Both my husband and I were always taught that family is the most important gift you can give your children, so we have stayed in our hometown and maintain those deep family roots. We purchased the home I grew up in from my grandparents in 2002 and decided to live next door to them so we could offer any help they needed around their place or cooking dinners. The time we all spent together and the memories that we made are most definitely priceless. In 2016 my grandpa passed away and today we do our best as we navigate my grandma through Alzheimer's.

I would have never began my career in education without the support and encouragement from my husband and my grandparents. Once I completed my teaching degree, I began teaching 6th grade in the elementary school I attended as a child. Then, after a few years I decided to move to a lower grade level and began teaching 2nd grade in the same elementary. The shift from older students to younger students was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated, however it didn't take long for my new students to find a special place in my heart. Although I really loved teaching, I wanted to help more kids than just a single classroom each year so I began my journey into school administration.

In 2019 I accepted my first principal position at a junior high school in a neighboring school district. The student population mostly consists of kids who come from lower socio-economic homes that also have higher rates of abuse and drug use. My students inspire me, challenge me, and impress me each and every day.

As much as I love my job, the district I work for is not wealthy and my salary is quite a bit under the state average. My husband and I would love to build our home, unfortunately it is next to impossible to get a construction loan with my outstanding student loan debt. The cost of these loans is quite significant and I am hoping to avoid moving to a school district that can offer a higher salary by eliminating some of this debt.