I am married to my best friend, Mr. Brian Thigpen, and have one son, Mark, who is 20 years old. We have 3 cats: Fats, Skinny, and Baby. We live in Evans, but during football season we may as well live in Athens! We are HUGE Georgia Bulldogs fans!
I don't have much free time between GMS and working on my doctoral degree, but I love spending whatever time I can find with my family. I'm also an avid Xbox player (believe it or not!).
Educational Background:
I have obtained the following degrees/certifications:
1999-Bachelors of Science with a major in Middle Grades Education with concentrations in mathematics and language arts
2001-Gifted Education Endorsement
2003-Masters Degree in Middle Grades Education with a focus on mathematics
2004-National Board Certification in the field of Early Adolescent Mathematics
2005-Specialist Degree in Middle Grades Education with a focus on mathematics
I started my career life in the business world where I served as a collections manager and then a programmer and inventory manager for a communications company for 7 years. I was happy with my work, but I was not in love with it--something just seemed to be missing. After careful consideration I decided to return to school and my first major was computer science. I decided that a career in computer science would pay well but would not offer me the opportunity to spend very much time with my family. So, I decided to select a career that would give me time to spend with my family and that I felt I could truly enjoy. Since I have always loved children, teaching seemed the obvious choice! From the very beginning through the present, I have truly LOVED my job! There is very little in the world more rewarding than watching children grow as they learn!
