Moments with Dr. Jane Goodall

I had three separate opportunities to meet one of my heroes...Dr. Goodall.  At 14, my mom drove me to one of her speeches in Dallas and we went to a private reception so that I could meet her.  I never could have imagined that I would see her again just 3 years later when she came to dedicate our Ecology Center at GHS.  My teacher and mentor, Sherri Steward, was very influenced by Dr. Goodall and we were beyond thrilled when her travel plans allowed a visit to our school.  That began a partnership that allowed Sherri to travel to Africa to see the Jane Goodall Institute in action in Tanzania, and our school adopted a school there that led to the next visit by Dr. Goodall.  I traveled to TX for a special fundraiser and speech in 1992.  So the moral of this memory for me is that heroes are meant to be met, and when that happens, it is an honor to share their story and their purpose wherever our lives lead us.  Idaho is pretty far away from Africa and England and even Texas, but Dr. Goodall's message to mankind is as relevant here as anywhere else in the world.