Who is Mrs. Meckes?Hi!
Ok, so you're probably already wondering how to pronounce my name (Meh-kiss). Even my family had a hard time figuring it out after I got married. I am from Durham, North Carolina. I received my B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2003. From there, I went to Regent University in Virginia Beach. |
At Regent I earned my Masters in Counseling (Community focus) where I completed an internship at the Women’s Center at Tidewater Community College. I counseled women from the ages of 18-60. However, as I began my job search, post grad school, I began to realize I didn’t want to work in a Community College after all.
I had an epiphany while at lunch with friends after church one Sunday. We were watching their son as he placed his head on the table. His parents looked at him and asked, “Are you tired? You OK?” I took one look and knew. I knocked on the table with my knuckles and made different sounds on the table. Their child smiled. He wasn’t tired. His ear was pressed to the table and he was listening to the table.
I think one of the gifts God has given me is to really listen to children not just with my ears, but my eyes and my heart, to understand them on their level. Of course after my lunchtime epiphany I decided I needed to go back to school to get the appropriate training so I could work with kids. I attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and received a post-master’s certificate in School Counseling.
From 2009 till 2015 I worked as a School Counselor/Test Coordinator at Forest View Elementary School here in Durham. I loved my time at FVE. These students will forever have a place in my heart. However, after six years I was ready to work just as a School Counselor and forgo all of my Test Coordinator responsibilities.
That's what brought me here to Voyager Academy.
Some of you may not believe it, but I do have a life outside of Voyager. I enjoy traveling, exercising, and a good movie or sitcom on Netflix. Cake is my favorite food. I could sit and read a book for hours. However, my biggest passion (outside of my love for children) is music. Anything I can do with music -dance, sing, or play an instrument.
My husband and I have two beautiful children (yes I am biased and I don't care, but seriously even strangers have told me so, so there's that). No pets as of yet, but who knows.
I had an epiphany while at lunch with friends after church one Sunday. We were watching their son as he placed his head on the table. His parents looked at him and asked, “Are you tired? You OK?” I took one look and knew. I knocked on the table with my knuckles and made different sounds on the table. Their child smiled. He wasn’t tired. His ear was pressed to the table and he was listening to the table.
I think one of the gifts God has given me is to really listen to children not just with my ears, but my eyes and my heart, to understand them on their level. Of course after my lunchtime epiphany I decided I needed to go back to school to get the appropriate training so I could work with kids. I attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and received a post-master’s certificate in School Counseling.
From 2009 till 2015 I worked as a School Counselor/Test Coordinator at Forest View Elementary School here in Durham. I loved my time at FVE. These students will forever have a place in my heart. However, after six years I was ready to work just as a School Counselor and forgo all of my Test Coordinator responsibilities.
That's what brought me here to Voyager Academy.
Some of you may not believe it, but I do have a life outside of Voyager. I enjoy traveling, exercising, and a good movie or sitcom on Netflix. Cake is my favorite food. I could sit and read a book for hours. However, my biggest passion (outside of my love for children) is music. Anything I can do with music -dance, sing, or play an instrument.
My husband and I have two beautiful children (yes I am biased and I don't care, but seriously even strangers have told me so, so there's that). No pets as of yet, but who knows.