Cheryl Leigh Chesebrough

My name is Cheryl Leigh Chesebrough; it is a pleasure to meet you.  I was born in Scottsdale Arizona in 1978 and I lived there every since, that’s right…an Arizona native, very hard to find these days.   I wouldn’t trade being brought up in Arizona for anything, the state is absolutely gorgeous and has continuously offered me support through the welcoming communities and overwhelmingly beautiful, natural environment.  I have been blessed with a wonderful family and social structure and work hard each and everyday to recognize my fortunes, I don’t ever want to take their love and support for granted. 

As an average high school student, I struggled with what my future could ever hold.  I found little interest in most main stream career ideas and often doubted that I would ever find my calling until that day.  I was assigned to an incredible high school English class taught by an even more incredible woman, Mrs. Marsh.  This motivating and purely special individual lit a fire that has continued to burn.  She saw in me things that I had not been able to recognize on my own; my life would never be the same.  It was this year in high school, under Mrs. Marsh’s guidance that I realized my passion for helping others. 

For all the years to follow I wanted so badly to become a counselor and spend my life’s work as the kind of individual that would make the kind of significant difference in other’s lives, just as Mrs. Marsh had done for me.  Unfortunately, the education that is required to make this a career was not in immediate reach and I found myself wrapped up in other forms of work experience to make due.  As the years went by I learned to take this work experience and transform it into knowledge that I could use as a tool toward my ultimate goal of helping others.  In addition, a little later than most, I found a way to make college a place in my life and, in the end, will be graduating Cum Laude from Arizona State University in May with a Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Disciplines: Psychology and Sociology).