Tiffani Rath

104 Seis Hombres Dr. Trinidad, TX 75163 903-288-3678 tiffanirath@yahoo.com

Autobiography My name is Tiffani Ellen (Pople) Rath and I was born Sunday, November 4, 1984 at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas. I began Kindergarten at Malakoff Elementary in the fall of 1989. I enjoyed school, but kept to myself in the social department having very few friends. I maintained an A/B average during elementary and made the best decision of my life and signed up to play the flute in the middle school band at the end of my fifth grade year. I went on to march all four years in the Malakoff High School Tiger Band. For my junior year, I marched in the band as the Colorguard Lieutenant and Senior year I was promoted to Captain. Also during my senior year of High School, I served as the Historian for our band and Representative for our Student Council. I graduated in the top 10% of my class with a high school diploma in the spring of 2003. I received the Malakoff High School Faculty-Staff Scholarship, The Betty Jane Brannan Memorial Cheerleading/Band Scholarship,

the Band Booster Club Scholarship and a full scholarship to march in the TVCC Cardinal Regiment in Athens, TX. By my junior year of high school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher because I had a great English teacher (Mrs. Dunn) who set high expectations for me. I never struggled in her class; not because English was my favorite subject, but because I knew it was possible to strive higher than I had ever before and I had someone who actually believed in me. One person was all it took to convince me that I should continue to do the same for our future children. I wanted to teach. I began tutoring other classmates that year and during my senior year as well. I loved it! After graduation, I attended TVCC and marched in the Cardinal Regiment during the fall of 2003. Soon after eloping with my High School sweetheart in December 2003, my husband received his active duty orders for a leave of 13 months. On the day of his departure (January 22, 2004) I discovered I was with child! After staying home with our new baby for a year and when my husband finally returned home, I decided it was time to get back in school. Little did I know my husband would get injured at his new job just months after his return from Iraq. Imagine that! I went to work instead, doing clerical and retail jobs and getting me nowhere near my dreams of working with children. I enrolled at Kaplan University in June of 2006 and graduated in May 2008 in Miami, Florida with an Associates degree in Science and Interdisciplinary Studies with an

emphasis as a Paraprofessional. That was the biggest mistake of my life and waste of my time and money! None of these credits would transfer when I attempted to enroll to get my Bachelors degree at UT in Tyler. I had to start all over back at TVCC and pick up from my second semester that I had to drop in 2004. I took at job at The Learning Express Daycare in Tool, TX as the Pre-K3 teacher. I taught for a total of 4 years off and on with that center. I loved working with those children and actually still see a few at Tool Elementary where I currently work at as the Special Educational Paraprofessional. After three semesters at TVCC, I enrolled at Navarro College in Corsicana, TX for another two semesters where I finished up my basic courses and finally enrolled at Texas A&M University in the summer of 2013. I am currently on my way to getting my Bachelors Degree in Science and Interdisciplinary Studies EC-6 and plan to graduate in the Fall of 2014. I have two beautiful boys, ages 9 and 1, who are the best part of my world. I love them both and they have helped me be a better teacher in every way possible. I also love gardening which I get to do a lot of now after buying my own home last year. I enjoy baking all year round, not just during the winter. I am also a crafter and have realized I can make almost anything myself and save so much time and money by way of Pinterest. I have cruised to the Yucatan Peninsula and Cozumel in Mexico twice. I have recently cruised to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel on an anniversary cruise where I renewed my vows

after 10 years. My family has a 10 year old female beagle mix that has been with us since before our family was OURS.