Ashley Blair

EC-6

Autobiography
My name is Ashley Elizabeth Brake Blair. I am 21 years old. I have lived on the outskirts
of Corsicana, Texas for the last 15 years. I now live with my husband, Matthew, my son,
Axeston, and brother-in-law, Nathan. My parents and my two little sisters, 18 and 6, live 3 miles
down the road from us. My dad is a preacher at Pursley Missionary Baptist Church where I have
been a Sunday school teacher for two years. Growing up as a preachers daughter was not easy
but I did get to travel all over the United States for annual meetings with my family. Some of our
greatest memories are definitely from those trips. Since I can remember, I have always loved
school and learning. I would get so excited to go back after our school summer breaks. I
graduated a year early and finished my Associates Degree in December of 2012, after my sons
birth. Before my sons birth, I wanted to be a dentist. But, I made the decision to put the dentist
dream on the back burner for a while since I was having a child so early in life. However, when
my son was born he was diagnosed at birth with a severe bleeding disorder. It was a huge shock
to me and my family. I had to quit my job and stay home with my son because, he had extra
needs and could not go to daycares. As I stayed at home, I finished my associates degree that I
had worked on before my sons diagnosis. I have always been a true believer of college and
knew regardless that one day I would get a Bachelors Degree. But at the time, I had no idea
what kind of career I could have that would allow me to juggle my sons health problems and
allow me to work full time. My sister at the time was homeschooled and my mom asked me to
help with home-schooling since I was already staying at home. So, I soon took over homeschooling and it is there where I found my true passion for teaching. As I started home-schooling
and teaching my little sister, who was 4 at the time, I learned how much I enjoyed it. I would get

so excited when she asked for me to teach her or when she got a question right. Because I have
always had a love for learning, it was awesome to see someone else loving it too. It was such a
rewarding feeling to know I taught her the basics she needed. When, I had first started working
with her, she had very little interest in learning, which is one of the reasons my mom asked me to
help out. It felt great to know she was enjoying learning and excited to do the work. After I
started thinking about it, I realized that God was showing me a career that I would love. I soon
got a job in Corsicana ISD, at Bowie Elementary, as a paraprofessional. I have recently passed
my PPR, Core Subjects, and ESL test. All I am awaiting now is graduating with my Bachelors
degree on May 20, 2016. I cannot wait to begin this career and experience teaching in my very
own classroom.