As we face this season of challenge in 2020, we must embrace Paul’s I Am Determined attitude and just like the blade of grass that pushed through the concrete we must be determined to push through this pandemic. Just like the tree that grows up through the giant rock, we too must go through the giant rocks of racial and social injustice. Like the cactus that stands tall in the dry dessert, we must be determined to stand tall as we go through the dry desserts of trial and sacrifice. When we are troubled on every side, just say I Am Determined and you won’t be distress, perplexed, declare I Am Determined and you won’t be in despair, persecuted, shout it out I Am Determined! And you won’t be forsaken, Cast down, reach for the prize, let the world know that I Am Determined has kicked in and you cannot be destroyed! Tell 2020 I got this, cause I Am Determined!

Take back your Power, your Glorious and Rise! "I'm Rising: Determined. Confident. Powerful." takes the reader on an emotive journey of empowerment through life's countless triumphs and tribulations. Above all else, it inspires one to tap into their infinite potential so they can overcome any obstacle that appears on their unique path. Through heartfelt storytelling, alliterative diction, and soul-awakening themes, this empathic poetess instills each reader with an unwavering sense of perseverance, courage, and compassion. This uplifting book is more than a mere collection of poetic musings, it serves as a powerful tool of self-love and personal transformation that belongs on every fierce soul's bookshelf--or better yet, on their nightstand for their daily dose of inspiration each time they rise. The collection offers poems for women and men urging us to stretch and grow to our fullest potential. The empowering prose offers encouraging words with a call to action to harness our self-confidence to achieve the goals we were destined to shatter. Whether in search of a connection, shared experiences, healing thoughts or encouragement, this self-help collection offers ready salves to our daily life experiences. I'm Rising is organized into three chapters entitled Evolving, Resilience, and Rising to aid in finding those special words meant for us.

In recent years, the process of learning to be a teacher- and particularly the transition from student to teacher- has attracted the attention of many educational researchers trying to gain deeper insights into the nature of learning to teach and to provide effective teacher education programs. These teacher education programs need to be constantly revitalized so that preservice teachers become actively engaged in building new knowledge, challenging their existing beliefs, and striving to attain realistic goals and motivations that enhance their personal and professional learning. Preservice teachers’ reasons for becoming teachers and their motivations to teach can be considered as one of the crucial factors determining the success of educating qualified teachers because qualified teachers presumably will be the ones who engage deeply in their preservice education and their subsequent professional lives.