Hi ya'll My name is Peggy Bell but most people call me Peg or Peggy Ann because it has a nice southern ring. I am a small town girl from the great state of Oklahoma and proud of it. I grew up in a large household having 3 brothers and 2 sisters the youngest having down syndrome. I always loved having a large family and believe it helped mold me into the woman I am today. In August 2005 I swore into the United States Navy and served 8 wonderful years to my country. I just started at Brandman this term and couldn't be happier. I am majoring in Liberal Studies continuing on to Special Education. I hope to one day be at the forefront of creating early intervention, inclusion, and transitional programs used nationwide. I would like to run my own respite care facility like the JD McCarty Center in Norman Oklahoma, focusing on military dependents, and maybe even create a post secondary transition school that is not a group home . I have many aspirations and cant wait to see them come to life. I am beyond determined to do these things and the passion burns brighter everyday.
The one passion I would like to pursue the most would be transition programs. I believe this to be one of the most important parts of a special education students life. Being that this is considerably one of the biggest changes they will make, and not doing it right could potentially lead to devastatingly irrevocable regression. I would like to see what programs have and have not worked in the past, so that I along with others might be able to improve the process. I would like to see stronger programs and more focus on this area as students and their families prepare for life beyond high school. This program should include students and their family. Educating the whole family could have a profound outcome for everyone.
I would like to consider myself a fairly good researcher. I could however get better at citing my work and double checking my research. I love to have random information stored in my brain and love to research everything I can. If I face something I don't know I research it right away. When I was in the Navy the called me "the go to answer girl" I love learning new things and love being able to put it to work. My mom used to have me help her research for school and it struck a passion in me.
PEGGY –
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post. Your passions are commendable. I remember we had a program here in Ca. similar to what you are talking about for special ed. students. If I remember correctly, it was a home for adults with special needs who were old enough to try it on their own. It was an older home where they lived, got jobs, learned to cook, clean, and take care of themselves before making the big leap on their own. I believe it was successful, I think they stopped doing the program a few years ago – not sure why.
I agree that there are not enough programs out there to educate parents and special needs students on what life is like after high school, I think sometimes every high school student needs something to help them realize that life changes after high school. All in all great post – hope it works out and good luck at Brandman.
Marnie Buhl – week 2
Hi, Peggy Ann
ReplyDeleteI admire your goals to help others. Sounds like you have someone that means a lot to you and has greatly influenced your life. I believe that you will do great. From your personal experiences you will be able to help, because you have a heads up on how to handle things. Through life’s circumstances you can apply it to others.
Right now I am perusing a career in Behavior Health, by getting my degree in Psychology. The thought of helping people has always appealed to me, ever since I was younger I’ve always wanted to be a Psychologist. Through learning ways to help people in theories or evaluations maybe I can help someone manage whatever hinders them. While helping them grow.
Although I have never been in the military myself, my husband is. When we were first dating years ago, he was in the Navy and we were stationed at PSNS in Bremerton WA. He had got out a year later and decided to go back into the service, instead enlisting in the Army. So once he gets back from this deployment he’ll have about nine months left until retirement. That is also a reason for my career choice also, I would love to give back to Veterans who are suffering from mental disabilities. I am also wanting to be able to be the primary worker in the family, and let him enjoy retirement. I believe that he has sacrificed a great amount for my son and I. So now that my son is older, I want him to be able to have free time to coach and spend as much time as he can with him. The age that my son is at, is time that he can relate to his dad easier.
Sincerely, Angela Stuart