I am a 53-year-old wife, mother, and grandmother. I have been an educator for the past 30 years. And I became a licensed insurance producer three years ago so I could work with my husband part-time in his insurance business. I love music, dancing, and traveling. My husband and I have a goal to visit the hometown of every professional NBA team and see them play on their home court. I have a personal dream to dance in each of those places with my husband. I believe in the acceptance of all people, and that love beats hate each and every day of the week. I am a strong proponent of what is right, recognizing that living and doing right isn’t always easy, but it is necessary.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I have been married to my husband, Eric King since April 14, 2020. We got married during the pandemic. We have five children between us: Erin, Michael, Dedrick, Chelsea, and Alexa. We also have three grandchildren: Legend, Amir, and Ahmad.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I have been teaching for 30 years. I started my career in Lansing Schools at Dwight Rich Middle School and I have been teaching in the ISD in Mason since 2013. I have always worked with special needs students and now I am helping special needs adults prepare for life after school is complete. The thing I love most about what I do is getting to inspire students (and sometimes their families as well) to believe in themselves. I don’t teach my students based on their disabilities, I encourage them and help them grow while focusing on their ABILITIES. I love watching the glow in their eyes as they set new goals and then reach them!
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
I love wings, so one of my favorite places to get them is City Limits in Mason. I especially love them on Mondays when they are on sale (LOL). I also like to get sandwiches from the Vault Deli followed by ice cream from The Daily Scoop.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I have worked at the Ingham ISD since 2013. I started at Heartwood and now I work in the SAIL (Skills for Adult Independent Living) Program) housed in the Wilson Talent Center (formerly the CACC).
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
There really is not just ONE person, I would have to say the staff and students of Heartwood and SAIL. When I first entered the ISD years ago, I found so much joy working in this community because the hearts of everyone I have worked with are so amazingly large. My students inspire me every day with their willingness to grow and learn.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
This is really two places – but right this minute, because it is freezing outside, I would love to go someplace warm with nice beaches and clean water. I love to swim almost as much as I love to dance and it would be great to be in warm weather. But if you take the weather out of the equation, I would like to travel back to New York with my husband, Eric. He took me there for my birthday in October and there are so many places I still want to see.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
My favorite movie is “Ordinary People” with Timothy Hutton and “Married at First Sight” is my favorite TV show.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
My greatest advice to people is to be kind and if you can’t be kind, just be quiet. There is enough hurt happening in the world right now, and I just believe that if we each do our part to be kind, that kindness will spread and heal our hurting world. It might sound corny, but it is really that simple.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I mentioned this earlier, but to see every NBA team play on their home court!
Q: Who is your “go-to” band when you can’t decide what music you want to hear?
I don’t have a go-to band, but my go-to radio station is 97.5 FM. I like the variety of music. My absolute favorite musical pastime is dancing to songs on YouTube with Eric in the evenings.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Patterson Vet Clinic.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I would love to sit down with my closest friends. I would like to have time just to laugh and if need be cry, and just reflect on life. COVID has really stopped a lot of time with people outside of my home, but I would love to grab lunch really anywhere locally, City Limits, Los Tres Amigos, Gravity??? And just enjoy some stress-free, responsibility-free, good old-fashioned girl talk time.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I really love taking my class to City Limits to bowl and have lunch. It is a one-stop factory of fun for my classroom.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
In 5-10 years I see myself retired from education and working full time with my husband at his insurance agency, The Eric King Meemic Insurance Agency in Holt. I work with him part-time now and I love it. In addition to selling insurance (home, life, auto, and commercial), we do a lot of community service through our agency and I look forward to being able to reach out to and help the community on a larger scale with him full time once I retire from teaching.
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I collect elephants and I have more than 100 elephants in my home and as part of my outdoor decorations.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
My new home we bought in October of 2020. There is a peace in my home that I have not found anywhere else, and I love sitting in the quiet of it and giving thanks for my life.
Q: Favorite month? Favorite holiday? Best single day on the calendar?
My favorite month would be October – that is the month I was born. My favorite holiday is Christmas – I love decorating my home and preparing for the season. If I can only pick one best single day, I would have to say my wedding day, April 14, 2020. (Otherwise, I would pick the days my children were born).
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
A road trip with my husband, going anywhere, as long as we were in the vehicle for a long time!
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My husband, Eric. He is one of the most altruistic people I know and he makes me want to do and be better every day.
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
I love freshly-baked apple pie and the smell of peppermint diffusing through my house.
Q: Who would you like to see nominated for The Faces of Ingham County?
Eric Alan King.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
LOVE, PEACE, and FOREVER.
