In 1985 , I was a memeber of the Jaycee and Jaycee Women Organization, a non-profit group that encouraged volunteer work in many areas , child safety, community involvement , education. and personal growth as well.

During my time with the Jaycees I fought and continue to fight a Blood Disease , Osler Weber Rendu and Chrons disease and have had over 32 surgeries and have been hospitalized 167 times.
Many of my friends had heard my life story about growing up in a very abusive enviroment as a child and how I now was fighting for my life and encouraged me to write my story so others could learn that trials do not have to kill your spirit ,that they can make you stronger if you have the heart to work hard.
So I did , and after one of my friends read it she encouraged me to enter it in a Jaycee program called "Speak-up" , it taught members how to do public speeches and also allowed you to compete while doing so.
Anyways to make along but exciting story short, I won every level possible on the state level and even was the first person in Oklahoma history of the Jaycees to have ever scored a perfect 10 score with all the judges.
Having won the state level , my community sent me to the National convention , where I was narrowed down to the top 10 , and then had to once again cmpete against the other 9 by being given a piece of paper at the door to the auditorium and had from the time I walked in to the time I reached the podium to prepare a 5 minute impromptu speech..I must have liked my topic because at the final announcement of the winner , I won the National Jaycee " Speak-up " award and scored the first ever perfect score by all National judges in National Jaycee history.
I was so honored by the award but also by the fact President Ronald Reagan and Lee Iacoca , President of Damler-Chrysler at the time were on hand to present the awards...That is something I will never forget.