Google Image Search: Word & Picture #90

Today's Word:
"dropout"

Today's Picture:


So Renee asked in my comments the other day about me saying, "I never finished high-school". That is a long story that involves some Bartley-family history.

I grew-up in Kansas City, Kansas. I attended Ward High School with my sisters. Ward is located in Wyandotte County, about 10 blocks from where I lived in Kansas City. Just before my senior year, my dad accepted a job with the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind. My mom & sisters & I stayed behind in Kansas... pretty much so that I could play soccer my senior year in high school. In December (after soccer season), the entire family moved to Tucson, Arizona. Instead of starting at a different high school for the 2nd half of my senior year, I enrolled at the University of Arizona. 5 1/2 years later, I received my college degree from the U of A (Bear Down, Arizona!).

To this day, I joke about never finishing high school. I think it is a more accurate description of my education to say "I finished high school early". But it has always sounded more shocking & funny to say I am a high school dropout.

Ward had so many good instructors... the same is true at the University of Arizona. My parents both put a huge emphasis on education. My dad has his PhD, my mom has 2 (or 3) Masters degree. They are some learned people. That is why they have 3 children with Bachelors degrees and one child with a PhD (to my sister Jodi: quit reading my blog and finish your dissertation).

So there it is. Ben Bartley, high school drop-out. :)