Clear Creek ISD is home to over 5,000 educators, administrators, and support staff committed to helping students achieve, contribute and lead with integrity. Dr. Britani Moses talks with Verna Henry, the Substitute Coordinator for Clear Creek ISD in this episode. Ms. Henry shares what motivates her, how her substitutes inspire her, and why she stays in Clear Creek ISD. Enjoy.
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Speaker 1
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Speaker 1
Clear Creek ISD is home to a team of over 5000 educators, administrators and support staff who are committed to helping students achieve, contribute and lead with integrity.
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Speaker 1
Hello and welcome to our podcast, Why I Stay. I'm Dr. Britani Moses, director of Human Resources for Clear Creek ISD. And I'm joined today by Verna Henry, the substitute coordinator for the entire district in Clear Creek.
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Speaker 2
Thank you, Dr. Moses. Good to be here.
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Speaker 1
Well, we are certainly happy to be here. You do so much for so many people, and it truly is just an honor to be able to talk to you today and learn more about why you stay here in CCISD. So let's start by talking about you and your 20 year journey from receptionist to administrator. Our substitute coordinator today, I'd like to share your story with our listeners and talk about what keeps you motivated.
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What keeps you inspired and why you stay enthusiastic.
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Speaker 1
So let's get started by having you share a little bit about yourself and how you found your way to CCISD.
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I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. I am the oldest of seven children.
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Speaker 2
I'm a wife. A mother of two young men, a former Marine, former Marine reservists and Army reservist, and a 20 year employee of Clear Creek ISD.
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Speaker 1
Wow. What a story. Now, let's just give a shout out to all of our people here in Clear Creek ISD that are from Louisiana. We have some Louisiana employees here, so certainly glad you're here in Texas now. And then about your children, Were they a part of our CCISD
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Speaker 2
Both of my children attended and graduated from Clear Creek ISD. As a matter of fact, that's how I found my way to Clear Creek.
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Speaker 1
All right.
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Speaker 2
I love to help. So as a I started off as a volunteer originally in the schools. volunteer ing, intermediate school, high school, and then, of course, the elementary. And, you know, I was a stay at home mom for 13 years. I decided I wanted to work part time. I actually met someone who was a, who was an employee of the district, and she said, you know, I'll have to consider applying, you know, part time to the district.
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Speaker 2
And I saw a part time position for HR receptionist And I thought, that's something I could definitely do. I applied for the position and it was great. It was wonderful just being a part of CCISD. You know, that initial, you know, of course, transitioning from being a stay at home mom, right to working part time. And then of course, we full time role.
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Speaker 1
That's so exciting. So here we are 20 years later. But just think because you're boys and you were engaged in the school community where they were going and thankfully someone recruited you to be part of team CCISD Wow, that's exceptional. So I'm thinking about that first role as receptionist. And you mentioned your extensive experience being in the military.
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Speaker 1
So how do you feel like those years of service? And first, thank you for serving in our country. I think that says a lot about who you are and your commitment and dedication to our people. Clearly, you've been serving our country and our people for a long time. Thinking about your service in the military. How do you feel that that helped prepare you for coming into the workforce and and now?
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Speaker 2
Well, one of the great things about military life is that you're you're exposed to people from you meet people from all walks of life, different backgrounds, and you just learn to work with a variety of personalities and, you know, just different people. So I think that helped me, you know, understand that I can work with anybody, doesn't matter their personalality, you know, I can just I can work with them.
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Speaker 2
I don't have to take it personal. I mean, I can I can work with with just about anybody.
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Speaker 1
That's fantastic. So what's your favorite part about working for Clear Creek?
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Speaker 2
ISD? What I would say the people for sure, the relationship that I've built over the years, just seeing how everyone works hard to, to do a good job, the professionalism of everyone, that's the my favorite part and the fact that the district also allows for growth. You know, the district is willing to, while the district allows, someone who might be a para-professional to move into a teacher role, someone who is a substitute can become a full time teacher right.
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Speaker 2
Has a lot of, if the district gives opportunities for, for us to move up, for employees to move into different roles, Right.
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Speaker 1
Yeah. Really building that capacity of our employees and truly your, your story is just that. I mean you started as a part time paraprofessional and now you're 20 years later in an administrative role in our district. And I think back to you talking about the people part of your job, and I think that's what makes it so special.
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Speaker 1
And and really the success in your role is because you are able to connect with people. So you support our administrators and principals on campuses who are just very anxious and needing those fantastic substitutes. And you also personally know so many of our substitutes. So how many substitutes do we have active today?
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Speaker 2
I would say close to 1200, I havent checked in the last week or so, but wow.
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Speaker 1
So when and I think you say people, it's not just a handful of people that you're working with or impacting. You're really working with such a large portion of our community and that's that just says a lot about your work and, and the impact that you have. So let's talk about your why what's your why why are you here?
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Speaker 1
And 20 years later, why do you stay?
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Speaker 2
Well, what initially drew me to that district was the the volunteering, you know, being able to help or wanting to help. And that's the same thing that keeps me here I still want to help. I still want to be a part of a team that's growing, that's impacting children's lives in a positive way. And people in general and in a positive way.
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Speaker 2
So I love being a part of that. I have a desire to help and I believe I add value to the team, right? That's what keeps me here. We keep back every single.
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Speaker 1
Year, okay? And so working with so many people, clearly there are probably many moments that have inspired you, but what inspires you?
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Speaker 2
Well, one of the things that inspires me is seeing the success of our being able to witness the success of others. you know, sometimes we're in a substitute orientation, and I'm looking at all these new faces and, you know, some of the, some of the substitutes are walking into the classroom for the first time, and then they'll look, I'll get an email three or four months later.
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Speaker 2
You know, I really like this job. I really love the kids. You know, I never thought I'd want to be a teacher, but what do I need to do to become a full time teacher? And so that I'm always impressed with that. I love that. I love hearing the stories. And then, of course, whenever I'm having a bad day, it just seems like someone sends an email.
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Speaker 2
A substitute will send an email thanking me, you know.
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Speaker 1
Just in time, right?
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Speaker 2
I appreciate being a part of the team, thanking us for the opportunity, the sort of things that encourage me and like I say, the success of others, you know, just being able to see someone who started out as a substitute become a full time teacher two years later or a year later, I mean, those are the things that spark them, right?
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Speaker 2
The desire to help, to know that maybe I had a smile and then that somewhere.
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Speaker 1
Yeah, that's on that. That's so amazing. So you talked about that you often get emails and things that that encourage and inspire. You can you recall one maybe that that has made a difference or an impact?
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Speaker 2
And one other thing I want to say too, about being inspired is I'm always inspired when I call stuff to the 630 in the morning. yes, If they could, please, they'll work that day and they'll say, Well, you know, I had an appointment at nine, but you know what? Let me see if I can get to my appointment.
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Speaker 1
Wow.
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Speaker 2
That just touches the core of me. You know, when someone's willing to rearrange their schedule. But this email I received yesterday is from a brand new substitute. We had substitute orientation January 24th. So she's just newly in the system and she says, Hello, Verna. I just wanted to I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the opportunity you've given me to substitute.
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Speaker 2
in CCISD. I am absolutely loving it more than I thought possible. I'm so glad I still got the orientation and training because all of the advice is making the school days much smoother for myself and the students. And then I was asking a question about I needed some substitute for February 19, she says, Yes, I'm available. I can help you everywhere at 19.
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Speaker 2
So when I read that, I just thought, Wow, you know, we know orientation make a difference, Right? Right. And then the fact that she's giving me feedback, she's saying, you know, that everything she learned to make her life smoother as a substitute teacher. And then, of course, you know, the student's right.
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Speaker 1
One of the things that I think is just so remarkable about about, of course, your growth in CCISD and moving up through the years. But when you became coordinator, you didn't just say, okay, this is what we have. You immediately set goals. You began doing things that we hadn't necessarily done before. Orientation is one of those. So talk to us a little bit about that.
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Speaker 1
And when you came into that position and what inspired you to set those goals and to reach for higher numbers of subs and and going beyond what had been done?
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Speaker 2
Well, I could see the impact that substitutes had on the district. So when I look out, of course, we have a system that affects the number of substitutes that are working. You say how many jobs are filled and unfilled and you know, my goal is always 100%. You know, I want to look out and see that every single classroom has a substitute.
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Speaker 2
Right. And I want the campuses to feel like they can count on us to have the support that they need. So over the years, we've tweaked so many different things about the sub program and just, you know, setting goals. I think you know, if we have 500 subs this year, then next year we need to stretch out, you know, reach out a little bit further and see if we can increase the numbers.
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Speaker 2
So every year we review the sub program whas working whats not working and we set new goals for the next year. So orientation is a big one. You know, during COVID we went from in-person to online with the orientation. We actually were interviewing substitutes at that time. so we set up a process where subs could be interviewed online and then of course, attend the orientation.
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Speaker 2
Well, now that we're back in person, you know, we get so many compliments from the substitutes is actually subs that are working in other districts will come and say this is the best orientation that I've attended. You know, in terms of our classroom management, what we offer there. And then, of course the seat, the safety, right. A little bit about SPED, just the overall, you know, overview of the whole program, the better prepare substitutes and we know from research that substitutes who are well trained will work more right Pick up more assignments.
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Speaker 2
So I'm attending when I'm preparing orientation, when I'm preparing to do any kind of professional development for substitutes. That's what I'm thinking of how can i better equip them, you know, substitutes so they feel like, you know, if you're beginning on day one, you know, I've got this. I can do this job. I can read a lesson plan right off.
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Speaker 2
The kids are aware of safety rules required of me, right? So, yeah.
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Speaker 1
And as the person in the email said, she felt better equipped and able to do her job because of the support that you had provided, one of the other things that you did, post-COVID was really advocate for our campuses to have what we named as a super sub. So talk about that idea and how you knew that that was going to be something that was valuable and needed for our campuses.
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Speaker 2
Well, I don't know if I came up with the initial idea, but I thought it was a great idea. You know, and one thing about me is I'm a listener and I if if someone gives me a good idea, I'm always listening for good ideas. And, you know, sometimes you may think, someone's just making a suggestion. Well, I take my I take suggestions seriously.
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Speaker 2
So give me an idea. If there's something that I can implement, I'm going to implement it right. The with the sub the super sub program. Initially we started out during COVID with one super sub for campus campuses to select their person. They would that person would show up every day to the campus, be a support their last minutes, so to speak, if an absence came in right and if that person would be there to help fill that role.
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Speaker 2
And I think that some of the campuses felt really good about it. As a matter of fact, I know they felt good. Right, because they asked at the week, at the end of the year, hey, well, we have supersubs again and the subs felt good about it right there were asking, can I come back next year? Will I have this same role next year and, you know, thank God to thank God for Dr. Engle, she approved it.
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Speaker 2
Right. So the next year we decided to expand it. So elementary campuses, you know, have one supersub, intermediate have two, and then high schools have three. Right. So the need because of the numbers on the campuses that, you know, that would help better support them. I mean, it's right. It's been a successful program. I can't imagine that what our lives would be without it.
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Speaker 2
Right. We can't go back at this.
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Speaker 1
Right. And we are so grateful for Dr. Engle and the board for supporting that idea and the continuation of it. Another thing that you've done in the recent years is really work to promote and recognize as our substitutes. So we just talk a little bit about that and and the program that you've been implementing the last few years and honoring and surprising.
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Speaker 2
That's one of the highlights of my year, you know, to be able to actually recognize substitute that are going above and beyond in a great job in the classroom. So the Substitute of the Year program is pretty much along the same lines of how we select our Teacher of the Year. So I provide some of that information to craft the program.
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Speaker 2
And so we every campus nominates a substitute. We select three substitutes as our substitutes of the year, substitute employee employees of the year, one elementary, one intermediate and one high school. I actually have a team of assistant, a former principal that actually review all the materials with me that the campuses send in about their substitute. What a wonderful job they're doing and they help me in the selection process.
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Speaker 2
And so we have at that point, after we've made our selection, Dr. Moses and assistant superintendent of HR, We coordinate with the communications team to actually go out and surprise the substitute. we do what's called like a surprise patrol where we go out. So we let the campuses know we're coming and we surprise a substitute with a gift basket.
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Speaker 2
Balloons are the communications department takes pictures of the substitutes receiving their their surprise. And then every year at the last board meeting in June, we invite the substitutes to come out with their families and be recognized by the superintendent, the board of trustees and the superintendents cabinet. So and that's just a really, really, really beautiful time.
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Speaker 2
Yeah. You know, subsidies, of course, they're all surprised. They don't believe they deserve it. Right? Right. They're doing their normal job of going above and beyond. Right. Campuses are able to to see those people and, you know, nominate them. Right. Right.
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Speaker 1
And usually the campuses say it's so hard because they have so many amazing subs who are supporting their schools. And but truly, when we go to surprise them, they usually it looks like they want to crawl under a rock or go behind the desk. And but such an honor and and an exciting time to be able to celebrate them and the work that they do for each of our campuses.
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Speaker 1
Again, they make such a big impact at our campuses and with our students. So what are you most proud of?
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Speaker 2
I would say I'm most proud of how the substitute program has grown, you know, and then the impact that it has across the district, you know, all the substitutes who step up every single day. You know, sometimes they're walking into the campus. They've never been to it before. You know, that takes a certain kind of person to do.
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Speaker 1
Absolutely.
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Speaker 2
But just being able to connect with them and of course, being able to connect the right substitute with the right assignment. Right. That Is something that I’m proud of..
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Speaker 1
Absolutely. And I think what's also so special about the work that you've done is that really those substitutes choose CCISD. They have many choices. Many of them come from various walks of life. They're retired or they don't have to work, but they're choosing to work and they choose to work in Clear Creek ISD. And I think that says a lot about you and the reputation that you've built around our sub program and the support that they feel.
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Speaker 1
So what advice do you have for others who might need a little motivation today?
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Speaker 2
Well, I would say the first thing is you need to see yourself, your role as part of the big picture. So you've got this big puzzle. You're a small part of it, you know, where do you fit in? You know, how is your contribution to the success of the district? And when you think about that, if you understand, you know your part you know your role, you want to work hard, do your best to make sure that you're doing everything you can to add to the success of the district.
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Speaker 2
So there's a quote by Colin Powell. He says, all work is honorable. Keep that in mind. Everything you know, it doesn't depend that it doesn't have anything to do with your title, right. Or your particular role. But just know that all work is honorable, you know, And we should always do our best and that someone is always watching, you know, that someone watching you, whether they're watching with a critical eye or they're just watching because your work ethic is so great that they're like, this person really is working hard, you know, and they're doing a good job.
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Speaker 2
So. Right. I think that's something you need to think about is where do you want this? How does your work impact the district?
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Speaker 1
Absolutely. I love that all work is honorable. So when you think about all those years ago, little girl growing up in Louisiana, would you imagine yourself here today in in this moment where you are in your career?
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Speaker 2
I never could have imagined, honestly, I never could have imagined myself even in Texas. Okay, I live in Texas, so. But, Yeah, never. You know, it's funny, you know, how life, you know, the journey. You never know where you're going to end up. There's so many twists and turns, you know, in your in your journey. I would just say you just have to go with the flow, you know, wherever, you know, things are happening in your life, you know, don't resist it.
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Speaker 2
Don't resist change. Okay. but yeah, yeah.
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Speaker 1
Probably that day when you're boys were young and somebody encouraged you to apply for a part time position, you probably didn't even think two decades later you would be sitting as an administrator leading a substitute program.
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Speaker 2
I can tell you that I do. I love the job. you know, there are millions of people that wake up every day and go to a job that they absolutely hate. And I can say that I don't I don't have that problem. I enjoy what I do. So I look forward to the challenges that I face every day.
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Speaker 2
And there are many.
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Speaker 1
That's amazing. So what makes CCISD so special?
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Speaker 2
Again, I would say to people that the district, like I said before, allows, you know, for growth, you know, for, for our teachers. and then just the fact that the district will promote from within, you know, is that what that makes it special to me. It's a great place to work. A lot of great people, hard workers, principals, teachers substitutes.
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Speaker 1
Absolutely.
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Speaker 2
You know, staff members that just work hard. They're professional. Yeah. This makes it a great place.
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Speaker 1
Even as you're saying this. I think about our people, our purpose and our promise. And truly, everything that we've talked about today exemplifies that. You know, the people with you talked about how important that was. And of course, you have a solid foundation in your purpose, in your why and what you're doing. And and clearly, our our promise is, is, you know what you're you're accomplishing each day by coming to work and supporting our students and classrooms.
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Speaker 1
So what is it about CCISD that keeps you coming back year after year?
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Speaker 2
Well, like I said before, I love the job and I just feel like I still have something to give. I still want to help. I want to contribute to the success of the team. So that’s what keeps me coming back.
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Speaker 1
Each and every day. Even when you look at that, Phil Right. And it's not quite 100%,
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Speaker 2
Well, the great thing about that is, you know, there's always.
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Speaker 1
Always tomorrow. That's right.
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Speaker 2
There's always next year, you know, So if we don't get it quite right this year, you know, next year is going to be better.
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Speaker 1
Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Mr. Verna. We would like to end this podcast with a shout out to someone who inspires you. Would you mind sharing a name with us and why you are grateful for them?
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Speaker 2
My Aunt Lois LaBeaux is one of the people that impacted my life in a great way, a positive way as a child Growing up, she actually married into the family.
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Speaker 2
Okay.
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Speaker 2
Before she had children of her own, before she had a child, she pretty much practiced on me,
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Speaker 2
I guess. Okay. But,
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Speaker 2
you know, she spent a lot of time with me, you know, just as a young girl.
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Speaker 2
And I really admire her life. You know, she actually worked for a school district.
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Speaker 2
Okay. And
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Speaker 2
then another thing was she was in the Army Reserves as
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Speaker 2
she’s the person who actually
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Speaker 2
told me about the the military. lifestyle
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Speaker 2
and all of that. So,
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Speaker 2
but she just was such a great person, just very outgoing. As a matter of fact, I got to see her a couple of weeks ago.
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Speaker 2
Just a wonderful person, you know, I couldn't imagine how she did all the things she did, all of the activities and, just the all the friends she had students. She is just a amazing person.
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Speaker 1
That's fantastic.
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Speaker 1
Well, that concludes our time today. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Ms.. Verna. You hold a very important role in our school district, and I'm particularly grateful to call you a team member, a friend.
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Speaker 2
Stay tuned
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Speaker 1
Stay tuned, CCISD There are more episodes of Why I Stay coming this season. Make sure to subscribe and listen to us wherever you get your podcasts.
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Speaker 1
Until next time. Thanks for listening and we'll talk again soon.