It's TRULY all about the KIDS!

The Beginnings of Vann-Ray, LLC

A Vision for Our Future

GenY and NexGens

Most of my adult life has been spent working in the field of education. I taught Children's Church, Sunday school, and  piano lessons even as a teenager.  I spent a year working in a Christian school before I had my own children.  Then I became a young mother at age 19.  I didn't start teaching until 1996.  I was still very young, but I thought I was ready.  I drove 100 miles one-way, twice a day for my first full-time teaching job.  Mae Eanes Middle School in Mobile County, Alabama was the first school that I taught.  I left there in 1997 to go to Citronelle Middle School, also in Mobile County,  to begin my second year (only 50 miles one way from my home!)  Eventually Citronelle Middle School changed locations, and we became Lott Middle School.  I remained there until 2005.  Then I left and went to Choctaw County, Alabama as a school improvement specialist for almost 2 years. 

In 2006, I decided to go to the corporate world as an Assessment Specialist for STI.  Six months later, I launched a brand new division, STIAchievement Services. For the next 5 1/2 (almost 6 years) I have worked in numerous schools in several states, helping teachers with school improvement efforts.  Two years ago, 2010, I began studying the CCSS (most of this done on my own time, I might add!).  I designed and developed several presentations, and presented them in several states.  I wanted to be an expert in CCSS, and I worked extremely hard to make this happen.  Finally, in 2011, my colleague (Judith Valos) and I developed a workbook for CCSS.  We used this workbook in our CCSS Institute in Indianapolis and in other districts.  I continued to work and develop a plan for implementing CCSS in schools.  But then something changed for me.  There were many internal and external factors that led to my decision to completely change my life, and ultimately I decided it was time for me to exit STIAchievement Services as their Chief Academic Officer. 

So, I left STI and all that I had developed for so many hours, days, months, and even years to start over completely!  As I have struggled to deterine exactly what it was that I should do to rebuild my life truly from Ground Zero once again, the one prevailing thought that keeps running through my mind is "It's all about the Kids!"  I have worked relentlessly over the past 6 years to help the educators and administrators with their needs.  I miss the kids.  I work with a group of College and Career Kids at our local church, ICC.  I love their energy, their enthusiasm, and their willingness to try new things.  Several months ago an OLD, and I mean OLD... (not really!) friend called me up.  He had no idea the inner struggles I was having at the time with my current position.  He had a vision for a movement called Generations.  We started some initial plans.  I gave him some free advice and consultations a few times.  But I was so busy with my CAO travels, that I really had little time to devote to the Generations' Dream.

Monday I went to the STI office one final time to turn in equipment and clean out my office.  I left there feeling just a little discouraged.  I won't lie about that.  Of course I had my doubts, but all in all, I knew I had made the right decision.  I just didn't know what the next decision needed to be.  Chris Farley (pastor of The River and founder of Generations) had his executive assistant contact me a few days earlier to go to a Generations meeting in Mobile Monday afternoon.  I was in Oklahoma when I got the call, and although I intended to go, I really didn't know if I would make it due to the extenuating circumstances.  I went ahead and told my husband, Ray, about the meeting and asked if he wanted to come.  He agreed that he would go with me, so off we went.

At this point, I still did not know what I wanted to do exactly.  I knew what I was equipped to do.  I knew some of the challenges that I would face if I pursued a direction doing what I was equipped to do.  But I really didn't know for sure.  Then at the Generations meeting, I met some remarkable people.  One person in particular really gave me some great fatherly-coach advice.  Coach Mike Gottfried (founder of Team Focus) prayed with me and told me to simply put a notebook in every room in my home.  He told me as I walked through those rooms, to stop and write down what my thoughts were and simply pray over them.  Suddenly over the next day it started coming together for me.  "It's all about the KIDS Sarah!"  It's always been about the kids.

And now... the VISION is becoming increasingly clear!  So stay tuned!  There will be much more to come, and it will be all about our future!  Our GenY and NexGens!

And, once again, I am motivated, inspired, and ready to FLY, JUMP, or CLIMB!

S. B. Odom, PhD