MY LIFE MAP The Life and Times of ME Melissa Buot-Favazza NovoEd: Story Telling for Change 09Sept14

I WAS BORN

DIARY OF A LITTLE KID  Ran around the yard in the rain with just diapers on  Played with the dogs  Climbed trees  Skinned my knees  Our family “car” was a motorcycle  Always wanted to go to school…so Mom cheated and told them I was 5 years old so I can go to kindergarten.

This was taken in Cebu City, I think I was around 10 yrs. Old. (that’s me with the red dress on – the runt) Three years later, in 1973, we left for America. The whole family took off and flew to Japan and then Hawaii…landing in San Francisco. Stayed with relatives and then went to DETROIT.

So Here I am in America. Really???? Wow. Culture shock anyone? But it was cool. We got here in May so I had some time to explore before school started. Now about school…I was 13 yrs. old so they figured I belonged in middle school. They looked at my records and said “She’s got high school credits” already, she needs to go across the street to the high school. Well then, there you go!

AND SO HERE WE ARE Big brother takes off for the Air Force. Big Sister later on graduates from HS and went to U of M Ann Arbor. Left me at home with parents. Heeee Haaawwwww!

THE COLLEGE YEARS   2 years Nursing – switched to Dietetics  BS in Home Economics/Food Service Management  BS in Business Administration  Minor Psychology and Social Sciences  Minor in Dance

NEVER A STRAIGHT PATH

HI HO HI HO IT’S OFF TO WORK WE GO BEEN THERE DONE THAT… NEVER ENOUGH $$$$$

WHAT I DID Food Service Management Catering/Dietetics/Nutrition Volunteering Business Consulting Training Caregiving Tutoring Mentoring Non-Profit Board of Directors

FLASHING THROUGH 17 YEARS Got married No kids, just dogs and cats Got divorced Went home to parents Took care of parents Both parents passed within 4 months of each other in the same year.

MISTAKES Made too many Learned them all Found my passion Came full circle Mistakes my own No one to blame What I was then Became who I am.

LESSONS

Yearning for the sweetness of Learning My mom was a teacher, Dad taught martial arts…So I’ve been in and around education for all of my life. My path was never a straight one…discombobulated, extreme curves and maybe this time circling back to what I really was meant to do. I’ve always wanted to be either a cop or a teacher. Dad didn’t want me to be a cop and my mom discouraged me from teaching. Never knew why she did that but here I am…in some form or another I’ve been doing some kind of teaching. I did training and staff development when I was in management. I taught dance. I taught martial arts and self-defense. I volunteered as a tutor and loved it. I also loved learning. I’m a perpetual student and following my dad’s advise of learn from others and owning it…I’ve been learning through online classes, from my colleagues, from my peers. I read constantly. I suppose one can guess that I really like teaching and learning. So I can call that my passion. I figured out my purpose through one of many epiphanies…that I am here in this world to teach and make a difference in people’s lives.