WELCOME TO MY LIFEBy: Brooke Graham

Walking My mother, my sister, and I got into a car accident when I was

only a couple months old. I got thrown out of my car seat and ended up down by the pedals

and could not be found. Once I was found I was rushed to the hospital, but had no broken

bones or anything. A specialist thought the car accident might have put my body into

shock and I went through a lot of therapy. By 18 months I was finally walking!!

Gymnastics and Tumbling When children are three years old they are learning how to walk

down the stairs and jump with two feet…well not me. I was doing cartwheels down the isles in the stores.

I started gymnastics when I was 5 years old and loved it. I was on a “show team” that traveled around our community and

performed our routine at elementarys, festival of trees, jazz games, etc.

I eventually got bored with that and went to just tumbling. I absolutely loved using all of my power to whip out tricks that

most people would be terrified to do. When I got bored of just tumbling I decided I would try something

that still involved tumbling and some……cheerleading.

Competitive CheerleadingI started cheerleading at Macs Allstar Cheer when I was in 7th grade. It was a great experience for me. I learned hard work, dedication, and trust. I cheered competitively for three years before trying out for my high school team at Bingham High School.

High School CheerleadingHigh school cheerleading taught me a lot about trust. I was made a flyer and had to trust the girls that were tossing me in the air. I also had to trust myself that I could do the stunts and what was asked of me. It was a lot of fun, but a lot different than competitive cheerleading.

DrivingDriving was very scary for me. I never wanted to drive. Then my cousin passed away from losing control of her car two days before my 16th birthday and that was it for me. It was such a struggle to get the courage to get my license.

Love of childrenDuring high school I found my passion for children. I had to watch my cousin’s little boy every Tuesday and that sparked my interest. I then took several child development classes in high school and loved them all. That led me to be a pre-school teacher through my high school my senior year. It didn’t even feel like school. It was such a great experience.

Peer TutoringDuring high school, I got the opportunity to work with special needs. It was by far the best class I have ever taken. It has changed my life in so many ways. It also led me to my first job. I got paid to hang out with this girl for a couple hours after school . It was the greatest job ever. My love of children and special needs has also led me into the right direction for my career choice.

In the swing of things

My life now is crazy busy. I am a full-time student and I work full time at a daycare. I also just recently got engaged. My life is crazy, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.