Staring down your fear: AHS teacher leads by example

"Once you're over the edge, you're on your own."

And with those comforting words, Cheryl Lee took on her fear.

Lee, an Allen High School fashion marketing teacher, wasn't always like she is now: wrapped up in others. Instead, she was more like the majority of us: me, me, me; my, my ...

Then she had a mid-life crisis, and went and did something crazy - she changed careers. At age 47, Lee said "so long" to her previous profession and became a teacher.

"I had no idea what all teachers did or what all students needed," Lee divulged. "I found that some students really struggle and it made me realize just how passionate and determined you have to be to show up and help these kids.

"Teaching gave me a brand new perspective on life. It made me wake up," she continued. "It gave me kind of an epiphany."

That "epiphany" led to a lifestyle change. Previously averse to physical fitness, Lee began to run. She became involved in a fitness boot camp led by an ex-Ranger. And she signed up for her school's initial 5k run to help raise money for the AISD. Through it all, Lee would draw upon her students for motivation. People noticed.

"My classroom was very near some special ed classes and I had some of those students in my classes. There was this teacher who knew I was doing all these fitness things to show my students that if I can do this at age 47, you can do all things, too," Lee recalled. "So this other teacher happened to mention to me, 'Have you ever heard of Over the Edge?' When she told me about it, I said, 'I'm doing that next year.'

"Everybody said I was out of my mind, because I'm definitely afraid of heights," she said. "But I just committed to doing it. It might be tough, I thought, it might be hard, but if these students can show up every day and do what they do while they go through everything they have to deal with in life, then I can definitely do this.

"So I signed up and raised over $1,000."

What Lee signed up and raised the money for was a unique offer from Special Olympics Texas, called, appropriately, "Over the Edge." All you have to do is rappel 15 stories down an Oak Cliff bank building. Participants wear a full-body industrial harness with an industrial "descender" (as they are called) to help with the trip down. Literature with the project further states "should you go too fast, or you should the equipment fail, the backup device will engage [emphasis added]."

There's nothing to the 5- to 15-minute adventure (depending on your knee shakes).

A colleague of nearly 30 years said there was plenty to it for his friend, Lee.

"Cheryl believes the best thing that people can do is to serve others," related Jim Finkenkeller. "She is motivated by a combination of exceeding expectations and conquering challenges. This was true when she worked for large corporations and is now especially true for her as a teacher at Allen High School.

"Being able to combine the unique experience of rappelling for the first time and raising money for the Special Olympics was a perfect fit for her," he added.

Lee said that now at age 52 she is looking for her next big adventure. Whatever it turns out to be, it will be with an eye toward her students.

"It showed me that I can do anything I set my mind to and so can my students. Don't live in fear. Don't be afraid of anything," Lee emphatically declared. "I want my students to live boldly and without fear.

"Sometimes it's not so much the subject you teach to the students, it's about what they learn about themselves."

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