I am honored to have worked and learned from some of the best and brightest individuals in Social Services and State Government since moving to Austin in 1997. For 9+ years I worked directly with Michael Hayes, Director of Family Initiatives. There I learned the craft of training and "managed" a small, but highly skilled group of professionals. Many incredible projects and all were accomplished through dedicated team work. The most prominent project being the Parenting and Paternity Awareness curriculum. A group effort of developing, distributing and training that was awarded the 2009 Commissioner's Award for High Performance. Although my experience with the AG's office was an incredible ride, hallmarked by many great experiences. My passion has always been helping individuals directly. For 5 years I coordinated an in-school male resiliency program in Johnston High School called the XY-Zone. The program served 100+ young men with support groups, service learning activities, access to health services and school assistance. Although Johnston was a low performing school our program was able to see many participants succeed in college. The program is seen to be an incredible success and continues to be operated by Communities in Schools of Central Texas. It all begins however with my early experience working in the foster care system. At 18, my first summer job was at a Residential Treatment Center (RTC) in Keene, Tx. I was then hired by a RTC in Bryan while attending Texas A&M to become a genetic engineer. I didn't become a genetic engineer, but I did come to learn the incredible need in the foster care community and the importance of early child development.I am unsure what social service or state job will be my next stop. However, I hope to always be a role-model for my community, to advocate for those who find themselves on the fringe and to assist children and families in need wherever they be found.