HALE Acknowledgments
I am because you are.......
Ubuntu Proverb
Ubuntu Proverb
I am me because you all have supported, love, chastised, challenged, and motivated me. Welcome to my reflection place. I have often sat on this bench to read books and articles. I have planned meetings and brainstormed ideas for papers here. I have even sat here and talked to some of you. I have ate, laughed, cried, and slept here. This is my place for refuge and renewal and I want to share it with you. As I think about completing this process, I think of each of you. Furthermore, I am humbled by your generosity.
As I began to express my gratitude, I know that I run the risk of forgetting someone. Please forgive me in advance. First, I must thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for being my rock & refuge during this time. Thank you for laughing with me and not at me, giving me great ideas and catching my tears. I am excited to enter into a new season. I want to thank my family, those that are gone on and present, I love you Ma! Thanks for showering me with a mother's love. To my sisters Tashunda & Tesa, thanks for being you , brothers Thadd and Cameron, and newphew, Nic thanks. Tony, Juwann & Niece, since you will not be here we will have to celebrate later. To my Michigan family, thanks for providing my home away from home, Auntie Pearl, Uncle Roy and William.
Special thanks to, Shantese Igbinoba, Mack Simon, Kesha Lee, Barbara Thelamour, Candice Collins, Aaron McClaurin, Alicia Trotman, Bade Irabio & Thomas Alexander.
Special thanks to the HALE Community, Dr. James T. Minor, Dr. Marylee Davis, Dr. John Dirkx, & Dr. Steve Weiland, Irene Unekerfer, & Linda Driscoll and my colleagues. Dr. Sonya Gunnings-Moton, thank you for the phone call that changed my life. Also, thank you to the following organizations and its members, HMSA, MSU BGSA ( Black Graduate Student Association) and the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) and Technical Interns in Education (TIEs). |
In Memory of Smokey
Too many of you are gone and we miss you all dearly. Smokey, I chose these flowers because they remind me of the flowers you would have given me on graduation day had you been here. Although you are not here physically, I know that you are always with me because I hear your voice and feel your spirit. Thanks for raising me to be the young lady I am and the woman I am becoming. If you were here, there are two things I know you would do, get lost at the Breslin Center right before the ceremony and buy a t-shirt that says "Michigan State Dad." You asked me when I was going back to school and I did it, thank you.