03/07/2026
Little 7-year-old me would have never believed it…
Not saying I haven’t always been exceptionally independent, but I changed my mind on career choices multiple times. We went from marine biologist (thanks to Lisa Frank ), to radiologist, to teacher, to nurse… then nurse educator (one semester was enough for me!), then CRNA (accepted but changed my mind twice), and then finally Nurse Practitioner.
But then again, as a kid I loved working as a team at whatever the cause was—whether it was twirling baton (yep!), cheerleading, singing, or student government. I always seemed to find myself as some sort of leader in the group—truly by accident; I don’t think I could help it!
It was baton solos at the state level, being the one tossed in the air during basketball games as a cheerleader, agreeing to solos at church, or being some sort of officer (usually Secretary) in SGA or another organization.
I guess I’ve always loved not settling for being in the background. I’ve loved leading the charge and doing things uniquely. I’ve marched to a different, independent beat all my life—so maybe that little 2nd grader wouldn’t be so shocked after all.
💕 Tara McLamb, proud owner of Elevated Aesthetics.