Whether you are a freshman or senior, you probably have heard of Mrs. Gates. Get to know her even more below.

Q: Where did you go to high school? College?

A: I went to Mansfield High and then Stephen F. Austin.

Q: What jobs did you have previous to becoming a teacher?

A: I worked at Six Flags and I waited tables.

Q: Did you always know you wanted to become a teacher?

A: No. I still wanted to go a health science route, and then at the end of my college days, I decided to go ahead and get my teaching certification. I came back here and got to do my student teaching at home and the school ended up offering me a job.

Q: What type of student would you describe yourself as?

A: I was a good student. I was a hard worker and dedicated to both my grades and extracurriculars. I did cheerleading and some other sports.

Q: What was your most embarrassing high school moment?

A: For cheerleading, you had to try out in front of the entire school. I could do a little bit of tumbling, back-handsprings, things like that, and one of the years, as I was going out to do that, I fell. Everybody laughed, but I got up and laughed too.

Q: What was one of your fondest high school memories?

A: I enjoyed all of it. I just tried my hardest to make the best of it. I had a lot of good friends so we had fun going to sports games and other events. I was also involved in church so I had a lot of fun there too.

Q: Any shocking facts about your high school years?

A: I was voted Class Favorite

Q: Is there anything you would have done differently?

A: I wish I would have had more direction getting ready for college in what I wanted to do. I always knew I was going to go, to get a college degree. It’s okay not to know exactly what you want to do; it can change. That’s what mine did. Even when I went to college, I knew I wanted to work with people or animals – I kind of combined the two with high school students. I decided after a year, that’s not what  wanted. So it was good to experience that but I wish I had better direction.

Q: Any advice for current or future students?

A: Make the most of every day. Enjoy it, because you don’t get that day back, and you don’t want to look back thinking that you just complained about it. You have to think about, “Well, what’s making you happy?” Those are your memories that you are making.

Q: Favorite TV show?

A: 90210

Q: Favorite music group or singer?

A: Michael Jackson, NSync, Backstreet Boys

Q: Anything else?

A: I’ve enjoying teaching. This is my twenty-first year to teach, and I got to coach too.

I’ve enjoyed being back here because Mansfield has grown so much.