Board of Education : Spotlight on Anna Bonham
What schools did you attend ? Elementary School Bethel Elementary , Midland , NC Middle School Hartsell Middle School , Concord , NC High School Central Cabarrus H . S ., Concord , NC College University of NC at Charlotte ( BA , Business Administration )
Can you share one quote or saying that you love , that keeps you going in life ?
While going through my mom ’ s things after she passed away , one of her passwords to an account read “ Life is Good .” Not sure who gets credit for it but I think it is always advantageous to remember we are not guaranteed one more day . All we have is today and we should be thankful for it and make the most of it . Mom was also a believer in : “ The early bird catches the worm .” I am always fearful the day will get away from me if I don ’ t get started early !
What would be a perfect afternoon for you ?
Toes in the sand watching my husband fish in the surf . Ahh , that ’ s the life ……
Who was your role model that you looked up to as a kid ?
Both of my parents were great role models . My mom was the original “ organizer and planner .” My dad was the bigger-than-life WWII Navy Pilot . He never thought for one minute he could not do something , but dove into everything feet first once he decided it was worth doing . He was a great story-teller , leader in the community and a very devout Christian man . My fondest memories are of him reading his Bible every day and studying his Sunday school lessons .
What ’ s something that amazes you ?
My husband ’ s will to never give up . When I am ready to pay whatever it takes to repair something ( particularly when it comes to PC-related issues ), he will read , Googlesearch , Youtube and research some more until he figures out how to correct the problem . I am forever grateful and amazed .
Give us a brief bio of your career . All I knew when I graduated from UNCC was that I was probably going to wear lots of uncomfortable business shoes and carry a briefcase the rest of my life . I did my time at the banks and the brokerage houses after college until my second child was born , which at that time the traffic on I-77 heading into and out of Charlotte was a mere “ aggravating mess ” ( not the total parking lot it is today ). It tied-up too much of my family time . I took up wearing tennis shoes , visors and sweatpants and stayed home with my soon-to-be 3 boys , hoping to raise good citizens in the world . I did laundry , played lots of tennis and was involved in local politics . Through it all it was the caring for my kids that had the most profound effect on my life . I felt exhilarated one minute and like a total failure the next . When I talked to other parents , they had very similarly frustrating experiences and they would make me laugh . Dale Gowing , who I knew from soccer-parenting , was / is the editor of the Mooresville Tribune . He gave me the opportunity to write a humor column about life as a parent in today ’ s world . It was very gratifying when other parents said they identified with rewashing the same load of clothes twice because you forgot how long they were in the laundry or finding Dad ’ s tools rusting in the sand box in the back yard . I wrote for about 2 years .
When my mom passed away in 2004 , my dad decided at that time to retire . I retook my Series 7 ( something I said I would never do again ) and acquired his book of business . He loved his customers and I promised to take good care of them . I continue to work for Intercarolina Financial Services , Inc . as a Registered Representative out of an office in my house . My customer base is mostly in Cabarrus , Rowan and Stanley Counties .
What makes you so passionate about Iredell-Statesville Schools ?
My first experience as a parent volunteer in the newly built Lake Norman Elementary School made a lasting impression on me . The halls were so crowded with other parent volunteers , one literally had to step over them as they were taking time out of their days to read to and tutor other children outside the classrooms . I had never seen anything like it . Their passion to make the school successful was contagious . Books for the library were procured and a playground was built on a $ 0 budget . What a difference each parent made in the life of those children and staff . There was nothing they were afraid to try .
Our area is truly blessed as a melting
14 Iredell-Statesville School & Family