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Teresa's Story Her Most Important Lesson Was Learned in KindergartenIf asked, Teresa will tell you that her parents taught her the values and lessons that guide her today - faith, hard work, standing up for what you think is right, and never quitting. Her "never give up" attitude dates back to a talk that Teresa had with her mom and dad at the tender age of five. Teresa was unhappy in kindergarten and told her parent's everyday that she wanted to quit. Her parents sat her down and explained that in life everybody gets to quit, but only once, and that -- at five -- it might be too early to use her "one quit." Teresa remembers thinking long and hard before deciding to quit - the next morning. It wasn't until college, however, that Teresa realized the impact of that discussion. In her first year, she was homesick. Her parents were concerned about her and, finally, her dad told her she needed to quit school and return home. She was relieved. It was all settled. She would pack up and go home. But the next morning Teresa remembered her childhood chat. She called her parents and informed them that she would not be coming home. She had already used her "one quit." She ended up graduating Cum Laude from Florida State University with a degree in Economics. Twenty years later, Teresa's "never quit" attitude is the reason Orange County was the first in the state to adopt legislation ensuring that neither Orange County nor its cities continued to approve rezonings that further overcrowded our schools. And that "never quit" attitude is why Orange County now has some of the strongest ethics rules in the state. In both situations, when a majority of the mayor and county commissioners would not support her efforts, Teresa took the issues straight to the voters. Her charter amendments for both school overcrowding and ethics reform passed overwhelmingly at the ballot box. Because Teresa didn't give up, the citizens benefited. |
