Connie had grown up on the family ranch which was west of Billings, Montana, and had worked alongside her father, mother, and two brothers on the ranch until she had finished high school. She believed that there had to be a different and more personally rewarding way of life than a working cattle ranch. Her parents were always encouraging and supportive of their children, and Connie moved to a large city to further her education. She decided to become a teacher and worked hard in school to obtain her teaching degree. During her last year of college she became intrigued with the idea of teaching in a big city, and perhaps at an inner city school. The big city life would be a big change for her and the idea of teaching students who were not as privileged as she had been growing up, sounded like another challenge. Connie was offered a teaching position at just such a school, and accepted it immediately. She told her family that she had to try it, and would return to the ranch if she was not happy or was unsuccessful in her chosen career. Connie's story tells of the dedication that she had as a teacher to her students, and their families also, as they taught her much about their life in the big city in exchange for the education that she provided for them.