Where Life & Education collide.
Having grown up “in the woods” as a child in Park Hills, Missouri, nature kept me grounded. At five years old, I wanted to be a park ranger. Small-town living gave me a deeper appreciation for slow-paced living.
My passion for writing derives from a life-long obsession with observing things, people, nature, and my inner voice. From the age of 10, I’ve kept an incredibly–or rather, embarrassingly–detailed journal of my life. Still do. With these opinions forever immortalized through writing, I was able to decipher how I felt and how to make sense of the world.
At 25 years old, I left a comfy full time job at my local community college. With my family’s support, but not enthusiasm, I left my hometown to embark on an adventurous teaching career. While rural life shaped my personality, I was ripe for more: to see more, to experience more. I wanted travel to shape my future self. Whether it was to soul search or teach–or somewhere in between–I landed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2018 to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) at an all-girls high school in the Jebel Mountains of Dubai, neighboring Oman. After realizing how little I enjoyed high school aged children, I then moved on to Dalian, China to continue teaching, but this time, to teach composition to Chinese university students. Living abroad was a much-needed hiatus from the Midwest; I felt empowered through solo travel, living by a simple rule: to choose curiosity over fear. Living beyond familiar has led to a more enriching, fulfilling life.
Today, however, you can find me in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, a sister city to Matamoros, Mexico. I help Texas Southmost College students articulate their ideas into writing that fits their purpose. In other words, I teach writing and literature for a living. The simple act of helping others convert ideas to words– be it students or clients– is what brings me endless satisfaction.
Addie Scoggin 