My name is Cheryl Ann Graves. I was born in Gadsden, AL, in 1975. I was raised Catholic and naturally became a member of St. James Catholic Church.  I remained actively involved in this same church, until I moved to Georgia. After I graduated from Jacksonville State University in May of 1998, with a BS in Special Education, I found a job in LaGrange, Georgia.  I started out teaching in middle school.  Then I moved up to the high school level, but I was not happy there either.  So, I went back to school to get a Masters in Early Childhood Education; thus I moved on to teaching elementary school.  I had finally found my niche, but something still did not feel right.  After teaching in the Georgia public school system for over 15 years, I moved back to Alabama. I was never truly able to enjoy teaching until I came to St. James Catholic School. At least, that is what I found out after my first year here.  At this point, I have taught second grade at St. James Catholic School for 10 years.  In 2023, I was honored as the Etowah County Private Schools Teacher of the Year.