Biography

You Don't Know Me... Yet...

What Am I Really Made Of?

The summer before my senior year in high school I was at a loss as to what to do with myself. The summer seemed so long, especially without my new love around and I needed something to help occupy my time. My parents motto had always been "sports or a job your choice,". This went for the school year as well as the summer. I normally was on the swim team as well as the softball team and this year I finally had been pressured into trying out for soccer, a sport I knew absolutely nothing about. The coach, King, was a friend of my parents and had been talking to me about this for a few weeks prior to the end of the last school year. They were looking for a new keeper and he thought I could do the job. Summer workouts started about a week after school ended and I decided to try out.

To say I hit some static is a major understatement. Not only were the other people on the team not happy about this recent development, neither were my parents! They had always supported me in everything I did and said that they would continue to do so, but they feared that I would "burn out" or so they said. I think their real fear was that I would fail, something I was not used to doing. I had always challenged myself, but never like this. I went to every single workout and practice and even worked one on one with a friend of mine on the soccer team who supported me, just about the only girl who did. Finally the day of reckoning came. The Jamboree, which is like a scrimage tournament between high schools as a sort of kick off for the season was the first scheduled game of the season. This day was my real tryout, either I proved everyone wrong, or I proved myself wrong.

I had heard the same thing all summer "She has never played soccer before, much less keeper. She is gonna get us killed!" and "The only reason she made the team is because her parents are friends with the coach" and some even nastier comments. I knew that King had put his reputation as a coach on the line and if I failed it would reflect poorly on him. The parents in the stands were even against me and as I realised what I was truly up against I started to doubt myself just a little bit. Then the moment came that changed it all. Some how the forward had broken through my defenses and it was one on one. She dribbled up the field like a pro and took a sweet shot to the far upper corner of the goal. I did all I could, I reacted and miraculously caught the ball! The sound of about fifty people holding their breath was released at once and in that moment I had earned the respect of the team, their parents, and my coach.

Not only did we go on to have a really great season we went farther then any soccer team at our high school ever had, we made it all the way to the championship game of sectionals. I learned a lot about myself during that soccer season. I learned that I could do anything I put my mind to no matter how much opposition I face. I even ended up being named MVP, Most Valuable Player, that year. It was one of the best and most rewarding risk I have ever taken.

Completely unexpected, yet a pleasant surprise. Young parents, Robert and Christina, look into the vibrant eyes of their hour-old daughter, Heather Elizabeth. October 23, 1986 was the day that the Fogle family started to take shape, ending a few short years later with the birth of a tow-headed baby boy chrisened Jonathan Stephen, on March 23, 1989. The young army family was constantly on the move from various homes in Alabama, Hawaii, and later on Indiana. The Fogles finally settle in Anderson, Indiana.

The family thrives, trying not to get bogged down in the grind of daily life. While the kids are still young the family is really active, getting involved in sports teams and constantly having family outings in their free weekends. As the children start to grow up the parents do as well, growing in their jobs and gaining new friends. Although the four lives of the Fogle family start to diverge on different paths, they always make time to sit and talk and see each other, never losing sight of the fact that they were a family.

Unable to sit still and with a serious dislike for spare time I involved myself in everything around me. I ended up being on 5 different softball teams, swim team, soccer team, National Honors Society, Drama club, varsity sports club, equestrian, and 3 different class councils during high school. I learned to cultivate a deep appreciation for the arts.

My goal in life, career wise, is to be a high school social studies teacher. I was inspired to do this by my high school social studies teacher, Michael King. Not only was he my teacher and soccer coach, he also happens to be an adopted part of my family. It is because of King and how he pushed me to be a better student and person that I hold the kind of values that I do today. Another person who has helped me on my journey through life was my photography teacher Mr. Kousari.

In my first year of photography I didn't show much promise as a photographer but Mr. Kousari never gave up on me and instead pushed me to keep trying. It is because of his unwavering belief in my unseen ability that I continued taking photography and through the years I actually started to show promise. Not only did I continue with photography but I took the intiative to learn pottery in my spare time. I have come away from Mr. Kousari's class with a deep appreciation for the arts.

So many people have helped shape who I am today. Some of these people stick out in my mind, I can easily see their faces and recall their names. Meanwhile other names and faces have floated away in my mind, they may never again be recalled but I hope that they know how they helped shape the life of one particular young woman. My name is Heather Elizabeth Fogle, daughter, sister, student, friend, team mate, artist, and hopefully one day teacher.

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    Images - Flowers, American Flag, Camera, Penguin, Buddha, Bridge. The picture of myself was taken by my mother.