Story
That moment our paths crossed at Charlotte Technical College still feels like a page from a story I didn’t know I was already living. I had returned to the IT classroom not as a CyberSecurity student, but as an alumni—someone who had survived those labs and learned the rhythm of humming servers and glowing monitors. Everything felt familiar, steady, almost comforting.
I was there simply to share what I’d learned.
And then I met Athalie.
She was just beginning her journey, carrying that perfect mix of excitement and first‑day nerves. There I was looking back at where I started, and she was standing at the threshold of everything ahead of her. In that room full of cables and keyboards, something shifted.
And then came the spark.
She kept stealing glances at me—though she tried to hide it. I wore my Charlotte Tarpons soccer jacket; she was a proud Port Charlotte Pirate. Rivals by hometown rules.
But there we were, two people from opposite sides meeting in the most unexpected place.
For all the days along the way