My name is Felicia Stanescu Palmer. I am a native of Romania, where I grew up during a period in which thinking freely was forbidden by the communist regime. As a student, I felt I did not have much chance to succeed, because I was not coming from a family of intellectual parents (my parents were factory workers, barely finished a vocational school becoming shoemakers and welder-my dad later in life). I knew, however, that I can be successful if I work hard. Also, I loved school and learning was my passion. My school teachers though did not see my potential. Au contraire, my eighth grade homeroom teacher laughed when I told her I wanted to become a teacher, and my highschool English teacher gave me the lowest "D" possible. Inspite of all these negative experiences, I kept on going, just like the little engine that could. In 1991, I passed the entrance exam for the College of Education, Department of Psychology and Special Education. In 1995 I had the opportunity to work part time in a kindergarten with students who were hard of hearing. Two years later, a collaboration between the Romanian and Danish College of Education landed me a three months scholarship in Denmark. While there, I studied the Danish special education program, more specifically, the educational inclusion program. After obtaining the Bachelor Degree in Psychology and Special Education (1997) and Masters Degree in Inclusive Education (1998), I realized that my passion is in working with, motivating, and inspiring children who struggle academically due to either intellectual, physical, or any other kind of disability.
In 1998 I had the opportunity to work in the United States of America for two years. I enjoyed working in USA so much, that I applied for a permanent work visa, which was approved after many trials during an entire year. I continued my education and obtained both a Masters Degree in Administration and School Supervision (2007, Tennessee State University) and a Doctorate in Education (2013, Trevecca Nazarene University).
Many people ask me, "Are you going to be a school administrator?" or, "Are you planning to teach college courses?" I would lie if I do not admit that these job opportunities, or at least the thought of them, consumed me emotionally. However, in a moment of spiritual guidance, prayer, and much consideration, one essential question clarified it all for me: "Who are you?" My answer: I am a mother of two beautiful elementary school girls, wife of a loving christian husband, and teacher of students with disabilities and others who struggle to keep up with the current academic demands. At this time, my plate is full with activities that directly impact the lives of these mentioned above.
I will leave this posting with the advice that my father gave me when I was a child: "Aim High!" And that is what I did; and this is what I tell my students for the past 15 years: "Aim high, never give up!"
(This is me in first grade.)
