Professional Background My first job was working at The Yum Yum Tree, in Denver, CO, when I was fourteen years old. I was bussing tables for $2.25 an hour. I still have a pay stub showing my hourly wage. It was a new concept, at the time, a food court type restaurant. All the different types of restaurants circled the dining area. Everyone would decide what they wanted go place their order then sit in a common area. It was the bus person’s responsibility to keep tables cleared and clean. Of course it is a well-known concept now located in most malls across America. When my parents moved us to Kentucky of course I had to leave my job. I was heartbroken. My next job was not until after graduating high school. Then graduating from cosmetology school, in Hopkinsville, KY, at eighteen years old. I became a licensed hairdresser and worked in the cosmetology industry for the next fifteen years. I enjoyed that for the most part. Working long hours with a family is a challenge but my husband was a big help and children adapt very well to changing schedules and late nights. I began working in a medical clinic as a receptionist after the salon I was working at closed the doors. I did not think I could do anything else other than styling hair. I realized a person can do whatever they want when they make up their mind to do so. I like working in an office environment helping to solve a customer’s question and needs. I worked in the doctor’s office for three years then I was laid off. I stayed home for the summer until school started then went to work in a computer store as admin support. It was very fast paced. I learned a lot about computers and working with people with different personalities. When it closed down, is there a pattern here? I went to work for a tele-communications company, Community Telephone, which moved to Clarksville, TN. I followed them to the new office. It was a thirty minute drive from my home, however, I enjoyed the job therefore I stayed with them. After working for the communications company I was laid off because they were going to be closing the Clarksville office to Nashville, TN. I went to work immediately for a Servall Termite Pest Control company. It was a different environment being pest control, however it was still in an administrative function so not that different from my other experience. I was hired in as office manager and managed a small office with four employees including myself. The company I worked for was a large pest control company with offices all over west Tennessee and west Kentucky. Our office had over fifty employees with pest control technicians, termite technicians, gutter installers and termite inspectors. It was fast pace and required multi-tasking. After being employed for eight years, new management was brought in and they let most of the existing employees go. This was in 2009 when unemployment was at its peak and jobs were hard to find. I decided to stay at home and babysit my newborn granddaughter. That turned into a four year stay at home job babysitting great nieces and nephews with an occasional emergency need for friends. When a former boss needed to fill an office position he called me to see if I would be interested in working for him. We talked and negotiated hours and pay and I am currently in charge of all aspects of running the office. He has a young pest control company, Robards Pest Control. In June of 2013 I decided to go back to school and get a degree in business management. I am currently enrolled in Brown Mackie College working toward that degree. I look forward to graduation in spring of 2015. I am a fifty seven year old grandmother, of soon to be six grandchildren, getting her degree. I have proven to myself that I am as capable today as I was when I graduated from high school soon to be 40 years ago. I have maintained a 3.89 GPA and have been on the dean’s list every quarter since starting in July of 2013. I plan on graduating with honor cords and walk across that stage to pick up my diploma with head held high with pride. After graduation from Brown Mackie College I plan to open a small diner, I have always wanted to have my own diner, like you would see on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. It will be called GeeGee's Diner. That is what my grand children call me. The grill will be out in the open area of the dining room so everyone can see everyone else. I will be open for breakfast and lunch in the begining. Then maybe for dinner on the weekends. That is my vision as I see it for now.