Joy K Hunt
ENG 3010
Bradley Stabler
Assignment 2
I grew up an only child of my parents but in the same household with my 3 cousins. We lived in a very non-traditional arrangement to say the least. A very close-knit extended family became my norm of what families were like. A product of a middle-class Detroit neighborhood on the west-side of the city, we were removed from the perils the city had to offer. My neighbors were the police officers, educators, fireman, city council members, and other elected officials of the city. The importance of pride in our neighborhood and community involvement were stressed in every household, including mine. Our foundation, or primary discourse was grounded in being proud of where we were from, in turn; we were delighted to say we were Detroiters.
Both of my parents are equipped with a Master’s level degree. One of my parents was educated in the field of human resources and the other in Sociology. I say this to say, I grew up in a very academic family. Getting an education was extremely important and attending higher education wasn’t debatable. Growing up in an academic household was challenging at times but also would place me on a path that could positively benefit me in the future. Embedding the importance of education in me would ultimately would solidify my primary discourse and place me on the path for securing employment, financial security, and allow me to contribute to society.
In the midst of focusing on education, we were also directed to regularly attend church. As a member of All Saints Episcopal church since my birth, I became in touch with my spirituality. The church “family” created yet another extension to my biological family and essentially became what author Gee would consider my secondary discourse.
Once I ventured off to an institutional of higher learning, I found myself trying to extend the values I’d been taught (i.e. pride and community involvement), so much so, it shaped the my major decision. I spent the first 4 years of college pursuing and obtaining a degree in Criminal Justice. However, my love for education, which was also instilled in my upbringing, sparked a passion for becoming an educator. This internal conflict led me to focus more on financial gain than career passion. I made the decision to enter Corporate America in various managerial positions. With each promotion and relocation I found a way to apply my community involvement and found myself mushfaking my desires to educate others in my management style. Because I was unable to teach in the traditional K-12 atmosphere, I made my office my classroom. I also strengthened my religious literacies to remain religiously grounded along the way.
My life in Corporate America was financially beneficial but also draining. Long hours and lots of travelling made church and personal times with family and friends difficult. Once I became a mom, I decided I could no longer handle the schedule demands. I decided it was time to pursue my passion of teaching.