Once I graduated high school, I started to question what I wanted to be for the first time in my life! With thoughts of becoming possibly a flight nurse, I focused my studies at Young Harris College in the Allied Health Field. Bottom line, I wanted to help people during difficult times. I have always been a sort of science geek and to me that was the most logical choice in studies. Who knows you do not need to do what is the most logical choice sometimes, sometimes you just need to follow your heart! Once I transferred to North Georgia College, I declared my major in psychology and a minor in criminal justice. By then, I was sure I wanted to be a part of the forensic science field. During the spring semester, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation accepted me into an internship program with Region 8, the office that serves this area of the state. Being the first student from the psychology department to ever intern with the GBI, I considered it an honor and privilege to be not only the first student but also the first female student. For three months, I shadowed agents at crime scenes, trials, interviews and other required duties. Many of those experiences prepared me for being coroner: viewing autopsies assisting in processing evidence, photographing evidence, processing finger print evidence. With that internship, I quickly learned that with becoming an agent, also came the likelihood of being transferred to anywhere in the state with very little notice. Being engaged at the time to my now husband, I knew in my heart that someday we would have kids. I wanted my kids to have the same childhood memories I had growing up in Towns County. I wanted them to experience running through the fields, catching crawl fish in the branches, fresh mountain air and a good, wholesome community…so I put my dreams on hold.
Fast forward a few years. I got married to Nathan, had two beautiful kids: one spunky baby girl who is now four, Bailey, and a sweet little boy who loves to laugh all the time, who is now 15 months old, Corbin! I still had the thought through the years of working in the Crime Scene Investigation area. Probably for over 2 years, I toyed with the thought of running for coroner. Actually, I had a friend mention it to me. I knew that as soon as he brought it up, that was the right thing to do. I always came up with excuses not to run, but never had a good reason. Finally, I stopped the excuses and told myself if I could come up with one good reason not to run, I would not…I could not come up with that reason…so here I am! The only thought I did have was a little voice that said
