Lanell was a single parent She was always my safety net I didn’t want to go too far was also a source of inspiration to her son in her 40s she returned to school after a 14-year break earned her bachelor’s degree at CSUSB and later became a teacher She taught middle school for 15 years before she eventually became a vice principal It definitely had an impact on me seeing her come home from work make us dinner and then go to class at night Seeing just how driven and how focused she was really inspired me