Mother, teacher and non-traditional student finds passion in special education – The NAU Review

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Mom, instructor and non-traditional scholar finds ardour in particular training

Lorie Lee is many issues—mom of three, aspiring instructor, non-traditional scholar, President’s Prize recipient—and can quickly add faculty graduate to her rising listing. However her spectacular resume doesn’t even start to do her journey justice. Behind most successes are tales of perseverance that usually go untold. From a troublesome childhood to elevating kids with particular wants, Lee persevered. Subsequent week, she’s going to graduate with two bachelor’s levels—elementary training and particular training. That is her story.

Difficult beginnings and potential ready to be unlocked

Born in Houston, Lee lived in Pasadena and Clear Lake, Texas, as a toddler. Lee’s mom suffered from substance abuse, and when Lee was 12, she and her older brother had been moved to The Methodist Kids’s Group House in Waco. Then, at 14, she went to stay along with her organic father in Lago Vista, nevertheless it didn’t take lengthy for him to appreciate he couldn’t take care of her. Lee was confronted with a call: return to The Methodist Kids’s House or discover her personal place to stay. Lee ended up staying with the household of buddy from faculty.

“It was the most effective factor that ever occurred as much as that time in my life,” she stated.

Her chaotic house life contributed to a scarcity of secure entry to training; by the point she was in ninth grade, she had been to 13 completely different faculties.

“I had many holes in my training. Once I was examined, I used to be at a fifth-grade studying stage and a third-grade math stage,” Lee stated. “The varsity positioned me in a Useful resource classroom, however I quickly outgrew the have to be in that program. Because of all of the trauma, I endured as a toddler, my mind stopped studying, and I used to be in survival mode.”

As soon as Lee was in a secure house, she flourished. By commencement, she had caught as much as her friends academically.

“That is why particular training has a particular place in my coronary heart. The useful resource instructor, Ms. Baldwin, believed in me and pushed me to rise above. And I did!”

Nevertheless, after graduating highschool, the stigma of her household’s previous nonetheless affected her confidence academically. It led her to imagine that she couldn’t achieve success in a university setting.

“It wasn’t till after I used to be married that my husband satisfied me to return to highschool, and now I discover myself reaching for a dream that I as soon as deemed unreachable,” Lee stated. “Reaching for this dream was a real paradigm shift. I needed to alter how I noticed myself, and I needed to change my self-talk. I can do arduous issues!”

Armed with the data that passionate and caring academics may ignite a scholar’s potential, Lee determined to focus on particular training, partly, due to her attempting childhood experiences.

At NAU: Household lends energy and confidence

Lee earned an affiliate’s diploma with distinction from Estrella Mountain Group Faculty and a certificates of accomplishment in strategic social media advertising and marketing from Boston College. She selected NAU as a result of her husband obtained his grasp’s diploma in training management right here, and he or she witnessed the assist and dedication his professors offered. She knew it will be a wonderful match for her.

Incomes her diploma in particular training will fulfill her want to perform her profession targets, nevertheless it additionally will get her towards a private aim.

“It is going to additional separate me from the poverty I grew up in: not understanding when my subsequent meal would come, the place I’d sleep or if I’d be secure. My three kids won’t ever must expertise these worries,” Lee stated.

Her husband, Sean, was a big pillar of assist. “He has been there this complete time and has been my greatest and loudest cheerleader throughout my education profession.”

Lee attended the NAU-North Valley campus, however vividly remembers a visit up north throughout her tutorial tenure. She and a classmate drove to Flagstaff in Fall 2021 to buy required course books from the bookstore. “Whereas in Flagstaff, there was a torrential downpour of rain. It was stunning, magical and memorable,” she stated.

Going through doubt, gaining confidence and carrying out targets

“My biggest accomplishment, apart from my tutorial success, has been my journey of self-discovery and the belief that I’m able to doing troublesome issues,” Lee stated. “I attended faculty and have discovered success in my research whereas elevating three wonderful kids with quite a few particular wants and challenges.”

Certainly one of her sons suffers from eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE), a persistent sickness that requires fixed medical consideration, and her daughter has been recognized with autism and ADHD. Each kids additionally undergo from meals allergy symptoms. These situations demand assist, steering and lodging, and Lee was there for her household whereas working towards her tutorial targets.

Caring for her kids whereas progressing by means of her program gave her confidence and resilience that she’s desperate to share. She believes she will be able to relate to and advocate for her future college students’ households as they navigate and negotiate their struggles and targets.

“I see myself investing in my local people, helping my particular wants college students, and getting ready them to hitch the workforce utilizing abilities I impart to them inside the 4 partitions of my classroom.”

A number of the most impactful instances throughout Lee’s faculty profession had been when she participated in practicum experiences in individual quite than on-line. Her first semester was fully on-line on account of COVID-19. Overcoming the psychological hurdle of pondering she couldn’t succeed academically due to her childhood was notably difficult and is one among her proudest accomplishments.

Household, enjoyable and hopes for the longer term

Lee’s plan after commencement is to work as a useful resource instructor inside the Litchfield Elementary College District. Her dream is to show college students with disabilities and proceed being a terrific mother to her children.

“With out NAU, I’d nonetheless be dreaming of changing into a instructor. NAU offered a viable path for me to attend faculty whereas fulfilling my obligations as a spouse and mom,” she stated.

Lee lives her life deliberately and goals to make selections with betterment in thoughts. For that reason, she typically has no regrets and thinks all her previous experiences are important, for they made her what she is immediately. One of many strongest influences in her life was experiencing poverty as a toddler. She knew she didn’t need that life for her kids and pushed herself to achieve training and safety.

Sooner or later, Lee hopes to journey to Europe along with her household, begin a scholarship for these coping with traumatic childhoods and see her kids eat no matter they need with out having an allergic response. And, as quickly as her son’s immune system can deal with being round canine, her household plans to undertake a boxer.