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Isn’t this a beautiful family?  Wow!  The great thing is that they are just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.  The Sherards have been a part of this Chula Vista/Bonita community for quite a long time and have found ways to give back to their neighborhoods through service.  The patriarch of this family, Rick,  is a retired battalion chief for the San Miguel Fire Department and has also taught fire science at Southwestern College.  His lovely wife, Sue worked for Otay Elementary School as a secretary.  She also volunteered for many years with a Bonita women’s group who raised money for Children’s Hospital. Matt, their son continued with this desire to serve and protect those around him by becoming a police officer and now he works as an investigator at the District Attoryney’s Office.  Not to be undone, my good friend Yolanda, his wife is a teacher, which is how we met.  Matt’s brother Colby and his wife Alyssia are equally impressive!  Alyssia is a horse trainer, which especially got my daughter Katelyn’s attention as she helped me with this session.  Colby is a salesman in the aeronautical indstry where I am sure he excels because he is extremely personable.

Yolanda and I have been friends since I moved back to San Diego from Ventura in 2003.  We became partners at Rancho del Rey as we worked hard to design a history program for the 8th graders in both the the U.S. History classes and the Accelerated U.S. History classes.  I must say that she is the most brilliant teacher I have ever worked with!  After watching her interact with her students, I completely changed the way I teach.  She inspired me to engage my students more, to call them higher, to strive to add innovation, creativity and depth to my lessons.  She is now at our local high school and I know her talent for inspiring students, challenging them to think more deeply, and creating lesson plans that are relevant and exciting is now being appreciated by seniors taking Economics and Government.  I miss her at Rancho del Rey and the times we got to spend together but I am so happy that the seniors she interacts with are getting the most amazing teacher that any student could ask for.

The younger generation in this family is really impressive as well!  Tyler is a phenomenal athelete and after playing soccer at Eastlake High School he is not captain of the soccer team at Cal Lutheran University where he is majoring in Exercise Science.  He may follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and become a firefighter or work as a trainer for a professional sports team.  He is so talented that he will surely have many options.  Tatum, who has also been gifted with the family athletic gene and played soccer, ran track and especially enjoyed field hockey.  Not only that, but she was a homecoming princess this year which just shows that those around her acknowledge what a beautiful soul she is.  Gentle, kind, intelligent and sweet.  Now, as she prepares to graduate from high school and waits to hear from several impressive colleges where whe plans to major in child development to become either an elementary teacher or a speech therapist.  I have watched these two kids grow up and am constantly impressed by not only their many talents but their loving relationship with each other and their parents.

The Sherards are one of those families who give more than they take, they serve those around them and they are a blessing to our community!  Those of us who have been blessed to know them have been given a gift.