Andi Halbert

My Aunt Andi is amazing. She chose to get her degree later in life and has dedicated her career to helping others. I was so glad for the opportunity to get to see her interact with her students. They adore her! She is so patient, and caring. I asked her to share some of her thoughts on how she came to be a special education teacher, and what inspired her.

  "I came home tonight from work and dropped my paperwork-filled  bag on the floor just inside the door.  My feet hurt, my appetite was screaming for food, and I only had a few hours of evening left to get the paperwork finished that I  had brought home.  I am not an important executive that works for a Fortune 500 company, or a doctor, accountant, or stock broker…..I am a special education teacher.  Many have asked me what motivates me to keep a job which unofficially requires spending an extra 4 plus hours a day, reports to finish at home and many Saturdays spent in the classroom; all for no monetary compensation.  There are many events which led me to the path to choose a career in special education. Some were because of experience with  my own child, and some were because of other children I encountered.

     My first son has learning disabilities.  He was born in 1973 and was schooled in an era in which educators did not understand the new legislation for children with disabilities.  He was given very few accommodations to ensure equity in his education.  In fact, many teachers scoffed at him and thought he was lazy.  One junior high English teacher even told him that he would end up in prison if he didn’t start doing his work.  That young boy stopped going to school at the age of 15 to escape the unsupported environment of the education system.  If he had been born a decade later, his chances of staying in school would possibly have been better.

I have also been influenced by children other than my own.  Some which I taught in my own preschool/daycare had disabilities that included two girls with Down’s Syndrome, a boy with Cerebral Palsy, and a girl that was Developmentally Delayed.   I loved seeing the progress that these children made when others had given up.   

     

     I teach because no monetary compensation could ever equal the joy I feel when I see students read, write or do math when some told me not to expect much.  It is exhilarating  when I finally discover how to use what a child can do as a tool to access learning the skills to achieve academic success.

       There is not a bag which I have to lug home that is heavy enough to equal the tremendous burden that parents have in advocating for equity in education for their child with disabilities.  I am honored to have a career that helps ease that burden." -Andi Halbert

Rosie

Final Proposal

For my final project, I have chosen to document Rosie Jarman. She is a 17 year old stylist. She is one of five bloggers for BP (brass plum), and is a member of BP's fashion board. She has many passions and aspirations. I want to document that prime time in your life when you have thousands of dreams, and the world is yours for the taking. She is very inspiring to me, and I want to capture some moments in her life.

History Locations

The Peach Tree:

When I was younger my best friend Linsey and I had a tree right between both of our houses. It was a peach tree, though it hardly ever produced any fruit, and it was out meeting spot. The peach tree brings back some of my fondest memories. It was where all of our adventures began. Every phone call ended, "Meet ya at the peach tree!" There was also a name carved in the sidewalk. It was our tradition that we would step on the name every time we would meet or even walk past it. We were a little superstitious, and thought that if we didn't step on the name something bad would happen. I love this tree and all the memories tied to it. 

The House That Burned Down:

All that's left from this house is the two chimney's and the toilet. I would always drive by this house, and it was always so creepy. So naturally I wanted to snap some photos of it. After a little digging I found that this house burned down in April of 2009 after a grease fire spread throughout the home. This house was built back in the 70's and was abandon by the owner after the fire. The total damage caused by this fire was $400,000. After that it became a major eye sore and safety hazard. They finally ended up tearing it down and no all that stands are the lonely remains. 

Peppermint Place:

The Peppermint Place is an Alpine legend. This also hold a lot of childhood memories for me. 

"Kencraft got its start in 1969 in the home of Ken and Marlene Matheson - their handmade panoramic Easter eggs and icing decorations were an instant hit with friends and neighbors throughout northern Utah. In 1974, Kencraft gained national recognition at a tradeshow in Chicago and this home based business quickly outgrew its capacity. With orders flooding in, Kencraft moved into a manufacturing facility in Alpine, Utah at the base of the majestic Wasatch Mountains where the company remains today.

In 1994 Kencraft, Inc. was purchased by a privately held company that added financial and management strength along with new ideas and products. This infusion of talent and capital spurred Kencraft into new markets including the expansion of manufacturing and sales into Europe, Mexico and Asia. Kencraft's parent company, Dynamic Confections, owns two other confectionery companies: Maxfield Candy Company and Dynamic Chocolates.

The traditions started in 1969 and expanded under new ownership serve as a foundation upon which Kencraft has built a reputation as one of the finest confectionery companies in the world."(http://www.kencraftcandy.com/aboutus)

I used to save up my money and go there and at least once a week. Especially in the summer. My friends and I would ride our bikes get sugar galore. It since has moved from its original location, that was a sad day. It is definitely not the same as it used to be, but it is still fun to go back and reminisce. 

Shattered Dreams

Catey Smith Warner has been a good friend of mine since elementary school. She is also a very talented dancer. She was involved in a car accident last year. It was her last semester at UVU, and she was to graduate with her BFA in dance. She was on her way to school and was hit by a man named Justin Hicken who was driving under the influence. This is her story:

"August 25, 2010 was the first day of school for my last semester before earning my BFA in Dance, Ballet. I was on my way to catch the bus but I got hit by a car while I was still on the sidewalk. I briefly saw a maroonish or reddish SUV heading towards me, next thing I knew, I was in the ambulance, or maybe I was still on the ground, I still don't remember. I remember my leggings, tights, leotard, sweater, and backpack. The scissors felt strange as they grazed my skin. The very first thing I remember thinking was, "That car totally hit me! I really got hit by a car." I was in shock and still can't believe what happened. I then gave the EMTs Jeremy and my mother's phone numbers because I wanted them with me. I also remember wiggling my fingers and toes and discovered that I wasn't paralyzed, I was totally relieved. 

The man who hit me is my same age. He was under the influence of heroine. He drove his truck across two lanes of traffic driving somewhere around 40 mph and almost hit a car head on before he drove over the curb and plowed into me. Witnesses said that I flew over his car and landed 10 feet away under another car's bumper. Justin Hicken was the criminal who hit me. He was even in court for a different DUI the day before. He was only sentenced to three years of probation and a $1300 fine and the worst part is that he still has his license. I will never be as strong as I was before and I will likely never perform again." -Catey Smith Warner

Click here for the news story.

Infamous Ink

I have loved this project, and the people I have got to know by doing so. All the tattoo artists were so great about everything. I'm sure it wasn't ideal having a camera in your face while tattooing someone. The first day I got there was its grand opening. I had just missed someone getting a tattoo. This pattern of me just missing it happened a lot. Finally on one of the days, two of the guys said they would flip a coin and whoever lost would get the tattoo so I could get some good photos. Fortunately the next time I went there were two tattoos going on. 

So here is a day in the life at Infamous Ink: