Deb’s love for education
led her to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Education from Illinois
State University. She immediately found
fulfillment of her dream to be a teacher in Grants, New Mexico,
where she became involved in the elementary school, teaching
physical education and coaching teams. While she
was here, she served as city
chairperson for Elementary Curriculum Development.
Later she taught in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, where she was nominated Teacher of the year.
Her concern for young people led her to develop an innovative
health program for the Albuquerque Public Schools entitled “Healthy
Lifestyles.” In explaining the program, she said, “I want to help
students develop life skills. I love this program
because I get to jump down into the trenches and walk through the
tough life choices my students are making and help them deal with
stress and peer pressure. This is where the
action is.”
With each passing year, her concern for
teenagers grew stronger. She realized that the
teens in her classrooms stood at critical crossroads where making
poor choices could mean a life of disappointment.
They faced a harsh world of drugs, alcoholism, and
AIDS. In 1990 Deb focused on her desire to go
beyond what public education could for teens. She
wanted to teach them techniques for change, to awaken their dreams,
and to inspire them to make positive choices. She
traded her position as a teacher for CEO of her own company and
became an advocate for young
people.
She traveled across the
country delivering keynote speeches and conducting youth workshops
to groups such as SADD (Students against Destructive
Decisions), FHA (Future Homemakers of America), NOYS
(National Organization for Youth Safety) HERO
(restoring the dignity of exploited
children), Highway Safety Council, and
National Student Council Association.
Today, under
the umbrella of ICan Institute, she still inspires teens to become
all that they can be through several programs described in this
section.
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