By: Emily Harvey
She grew up on the East Coast, going straight into work out of high school. College didn’t seem like an option for her then as her high school’s guidance was not as well-equipped as now. It worked out, however, as she and her husband met at work. She describes it as “fate,” emphasizing that she would never wish her life hadn’t happened the way it did. By the time her children were entering schooling, Howard County was growing rapidly and she wanted them to attend HCPSS schools. Upon moving into Howard High School districting, she decided to pursue higher education. While interning as a legal assistant, she realized that she disliked the impersonal and stiff atmosphere. Upon leaving that internship, she heard about educator and secretary positions in Howard County through a friend. When her daughter was a junior at Howard High School, she arrived, ready to work with students and colleagues. Her goal at Howard is to provide the students here with the opportunities and support that she did not have that we might have an easier path to success. Now, twelve years later, she reflects on Howard and her time here. “Every day is different here; there is always something for me to do and someone I can help,” she says.
Emily's Connection:
I connected with her story because I also love the community at Howard High School. I think that the staff and students have a lot of respect for one another. I also found her story interesting because her journey to Howard began with not having the support in high school to attend college, which highly contrasts with the guidance systems now that emphasize the importance of higher education. It’s an interesting insight especially since it directly translates into her goal to help students like myself achieve higher education.
