What is your full name?                                                                                                                        
Heather Elizabeth Myers     
 
What is your profession?
Full-time student at Austin Peay, Youth Pastor
 
Where are you from originally? 
 St. Petersburg Florida

How long have you been in Clarksville?
What brought you to Clarksville? I have lived here since 1996.  My family moved here from Belgium when my mom got orders for Ft. Campbell.
 
Tell us about your family.
My husband, Thomas, is pursuing his degree in Psychology and he and I lead the Youth at Xtreme Christian Fellowship.  I have a nine year old son named Gavin who loves to skateboard and a four year old daughter named Abbey who is very mischievous and energetic.  My kids are incredible and they keep life very interesting.
 
What do you like most about Clarksville?
I love that it is very family oriented.  It still has that almost “small town” feel but is located close enough to Nashville to have the big city benefits, like the Titans and the concerts that come through Bridgestone Arena.  I love the diversity of the people who live here and the military environment. 
 
If you could have any other profession/dream job what would it be? 
My dream job is to be a nurse, which is what I’m going to school for.  If I had to choose something else I think I would like to be an actor or director.  Or an assassin. 
 
What is your favorite meal?
I love food too much to narrow it down to one meal.  One of my favorites is my dad’s Swiss Steak with mashed potatoes.  But I have a huge sweet tooth.  I have been know to skip dinner to make more room for desert.
 
What is the easiest and most difficult part of your job every day? 
Trying to juggle full-time school with two kids is extremely difficult.  Sometimes it’s hard to remember that it will be worth it in the end.  My family is very supportive though so that makes it a little easier.

What do you drive?
Currently a 1999 Chevy Blazer, but I’m hoping to upgrade in the very near future.
 
What’s your favorite movie or TV show?
My favorite movie is The Labyrinth.
 
Who do you look up too? Who is your role model? 
My grandmother is a huge role model for me. She was a single mother for fifteen years and she worked hard to support my dad all by herself.  She did what she needed to do no matter how difficult but she was never bitter or angry about her situation.  She is one of the strongest people I know. 
 
What has been the toughest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your life? 
I got pregnant with my son at age nineteen.  Making the decision to grow up and put him first was a big adjustment.  I faced a lot of judgment from people around me but with the support of my family and husband I was able to take what could have been something terrible and turn it into a catalyst for good. 
 
 
What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now? How would you like your life to look 10 years from now?  
Ten years from now I want to be working in an aftercare facility for sex trafficking survivors, providing medical treatment.

Have you ever been issued a speeding ticket?
Yes.  Unfortunately it was about 8 months ago.
 
Why did you choose your current profession?
Once the issue of trafficking was brought to my attention I knew I had to get involved.  I was already attending school to become a nurse so I decided that I wanted to combine my two passions and use my nursing degree to help survivors of sex trafficking.
 
Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I am currently attending Austin Peay, majoring in nursing.
 
When and to where was your last vacation?
My last vacation was to Florida and it was about a year ago.

What is your favorite pastime or hobby? 
I love painting, baking, drawing, anything creative.
 
What advice can you give others juggling a family and career? 
Don’t be afraid to ask for help and be ok with making mistakes. 
 
How do you start your day? 
Hugging my children, drinking some coffee, and taking a shower
 
What are you passionate about in life? 
I am extremely passionate about the issue of human trafficking.  I am the Clarksville Ambassador for a non-profit organization called Stop Child Trafficking Now.  They raise awareness and funds to help stop the demand side of the trafficking issue.
 
What is something most Clarksvillians wouldn’t know about you? 
I was in the Super Bowl XXV Half-time show.
 
If you could leave one message to the Clarksville community what would it be?  
Clarksville is a community that cares about children.  I would love to see Clarksville come together and stand up for the rights of children who are being bought and sold for sexual exploitation all across our nation and the world.  Clarksville can set an example for the rest of Tennessee and lead the way in stopping this epidemic of child slavery.  For more information visit www.SCTNow.org.



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