In sixth grade, she was teaching second graders. How’s that for early career start?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I thought for sure I’d be the one who swooped in to save the day when cuddly kittens were sick or cute little puppies were hurt. The signs seemed to point that way. I mean, I was the caregiver for our family dog, Dusty; I was the one who rescued the neighbor’s cat from the persimmon tree; I was the one who put that baby bird back in its nest when I was 7; and I was the one who walked the sidewalks of the neighborhood putting earth worms back into the grass after a soaking rain.

So, I was destined to be a vet, right?

Wrong.

When I became more enlightened and realized that being a veterinarian was not all about snuggling with animals, I began to second guess my lifelong dream. And as a lackluster teenager in high school, when I discovered that veterinarians needed eight or more years of college, I patted Dusty on the head and said, “You’re on your own, Old Fella. I think I’ll be a teacher instead.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

Some people, though, aren’t as willy-nilly as I was. Some folks discover what or who they are destined to become very early in life and stay the course until their destiny is fulfilled. That’s how it was for a fourth grade science teacher at Eagle Ridge Academy. Mrs. Betty Ward knew she was destined to be a teacher from as far back as the sixth grade, and now 22 years later, she has strewn together a career of living out her dream, a dream of helping and teaching others.

Betty’s story begins way before the sixth grade and far from the concrete walls of a classroom. Betty grew up on military bases, her family moving from base to base to follow her devoted father who served 20 years as an Army medic. Her dad’s sense of honor and duty inspired her, even as a young child. He was the epitome of servant-hood and instilled the same demeanor in Betty. Her mother was a strong woman of kindness, devotion and honor, also teaching Betty about the warmth found in giving to others. So growing up under the values of God, honor, and family, helped Betty learn at a very young age that she, too, was destined to share the same sort of values with the desperate world around her.

And where else can one find a more poignant collection of desperation than in the public school classroom?

The road signs along her journey were quite clear, pointing her in the direction of education. For instance, in the fifth grade, Betty joined 4-H and quickly recognized the road sign clarifying her love and appreciation for science. When Betty was a sixth grader, she was given an assignment in her favorite class, science. That year, part of her class science project was to teach their experiments to second graders. So, boldly and confidently, she did. And that, my friend, was all she needed to catch the bug. From then on, Betty pursued her destiny – a science classroom.

Betty has the perfect makeup to be a great teacher. It’s in her DNA. She has the honor and service mentality of her father and the devotion and warmth of her mother. The result is a teacher who devotes herself especially to kids who struggle to learn, battle to behave, or toil to fit in. Every good thing her parents gave to her, she gives to her students, and there is no greater destiny than that.

But students aren’t the only ones to reap the benefits of Betty’s servant heart. From what I hear, there seems to be a repeated response to any cry for help on the Eagle Ridge campus. Have a question? Just ask Betty. Got a problem? Just ask Betty. Need help? Just ask Betty. Her willingness and ability to lend a hand, bend an ear, or offer a shoulder is certainly a remarkable reflection of her upbringing, and she is proud to carry the torch of her parents into her school building.

So, during these fast-paced times when our memory of years gone by is clouded by the hustle and bustle of a twenty-first century world, find some silence to remember your momma and daddy. Think about the legacy they left you. Wonder about what you were destined to do on this Earth. Then, if you have work left to do, there is no better time than the present to start that work. If you need help, just ask Betty. I’m sure she’ll lend a hand.

Sheryl Green is a secondary educator in Columbus. Email her at sherylgreen14@yahoo.com.