It is my honor and privilege to still be teaching at GACS after twenty-two years.  I moved to Georgia from Tennessee at the age of twenty-one to teach school, I met and married two years later, started having children at twenty-seven, stayed at home to be a ‘at home mom’ for twelve years, which the hardest job I have ever done, but the most fun!  When my children were ready to start school, I started teaching at GACS in the Academic Support Program.  Part of my legacy will be the wonderful years that I spend at GACS.  I have had the pleasure of watching my own children grow up with great teachers and leaders at GACS, while teaching in such a wonderful place.

 I was born in Kentucky, in a small coal mining town.  When I was three we moved to Tennessee. But today I call Georgia home. I miss the hills and mountains, but my heart is in Georgia.  I had two wonderful parents who were Christians and I have never known differently.  I am fortunate to have had such a rich and abiding heritage.  I have worked hard to try to instill this heritage in my own children. 

 My husband, Phil, and I have three beautiful children – all grown now.  Nicole, attended GACS briefly, Kara, who graduated from GACS in 1996, and Josh, graduated from GACS in 2000.  All my children graduated from college and two are married now.  But when they were young, we were a very busy family enjoying all the sports they participated in and many other activities as well.  I am a grandmother now as Kara has a baby, Katie Elizabeth Koons (her father Kurt graduated from GACS also!).  We look forward to Katie becoming a Lady Spartan one day and leaving a legacy too.  Katie is currently fourteen months old, so we need to wait a little while for that to happen!  My son Josh married a GACS teacher last summer.  Lori Beth Presley Walker taught Spanish here for one year.  They live in Washington, D.C. now and Josh and Lori Beth are missed by many people. We have a little poodle, Angel, she is a ten now and gives lots of love to everyone.

 I graduated from Vanderbilt University, Peabody College for Teachers, and have since received two master of education degrees from Georgia State University in Atlanta. One masters degree was in the areas of elementary education and social science and the second masters was in the area of special education, specifically that of gifted and learning disabilities.

 I have a few hobbies but one that I especially cherish.  I love BOOKS, lots of books.  I am generally reading about five books at one time.  I have multiple copies of some books because I like them so much.  If I go to a good book store, I might stay for hours!  Also, I like to exercise and I like to cook!  Coffee is my favorite drink.  

 My dream is to visit New England in the fall and Scotland in the spring, but that is a long range plan for a few years from now.  I can trace my family heritage back to 1673 in America .  I am a “Daughter of the American Revolution”.  My ancestral name, HOGG, is a name that goes back as far as the 1400s amoung the Vikings.  Those people ended up settling in Scotland !  I think it’s interesting, so I like to read about ancestry.  I like to laugh; I like to cry because something is so funny!  I like to go to church.  I like to smile at old people and children.  That’s me.