The document is an autoethnography by a student describing their background and motivation to become a school administrator. It summarizes that the student grew up in a close-knit family on a farm and developed a strong work ethic. They met their wife in 2009 and had a child in 2013. Their passion for teaching led them to pursue becoming an administrator so they can inspire others and address challenges facing schools like childhood obesity, poverty, achievement gaps, and bullying. Their goal is to create a safe, welcoming environment for all students.

1. Autoethnography
Ed Admin 558 January 2013

2. Early Years…. Just your typical farm boy

3. I am the youngest of 3 children, and the only boy,
born to Steve and Tammie Driftmier. I can’t thank
them enough for teaching me the importance of
family, religion, work ethic, & equality. I am the
person I am today because of these two amazing
people!

4. Growing up was
always a little bumpy
with 2 older
sisters, but as much as
we fought with each
other while we were
young, our bond has
grown strong and now
I can’t imagine not
having them in my life!

6. I love being their brother and the uncle to their
kids, and can’t wait for them to be aunts to mine

7. FAMILY
Families are the compass that guide us.
They are the inspiration to reach great
heights, and our comfort when we
occasionally falter.
-- Brad Henry

8. Jack & Bobbi Swisher
Great Grandpa Miller
Darrell & Doris Driftmier

9. I have always been competitive…

10. Which in turn has taught me the
importance of quality leadership…

11. Life is always
changing, and on
Feb 21st 2009, I
met the woman of
my dreams, fell in
love, got
married, and…

12. 4 years later, I get to live one of my life
goals…..
TO BE A DAD!!!

13. So as I begin new journeys in life, I want
to say thank you to my family for
always being there!
What a great foundation I have moving
forward because of them…

14. My passion for teaching has lead me to
the next step in my professional career.
Becoming an administrator will allow
me to share that passion with others
"A hundred years from now, it will not matter
what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I
lived in, how much money I had in the
bank...but the world may be a better place
because I made a difference in the life of a
child." -- Forest Witcraft

15. Our world is changing, and schools are
no exception…
ARE WE READY TO HANDLE CHANGES?

16. It will be my job to continue to fight
against….
• Childhood Obesity
• Poverty
• Achievement Gaps
• Funding issues
• Bullying
And that is only a small sample
of the issues in education

17. We have to lead by example
EVERYWHERE if we want to truly see
great changes in our world…

18. ALL students can learn, we can no
longer make excuses about….
• Socioeconomic Status
• Race
• Gender
• Sexual Orientation
• Class Status
• Home lives
DIFFERENCE IS NOT A DEFICIT…WE MUST EMBRACE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE

19. The journey will not always be
easy, and we may all approach
things differently from time to
time. But in the end as a future
administrator I think we can all
agree that we have to keep our
children’s best interests in
mind. I want children to feel
safe and welcome in my school
and I will do everything I can to
make that happen for my
future children and others
alike.