My name is Pam Davis and I am the secretary in Political Science – remember that name, because you will need it some time before you graduate – guaranteed! (tee hee).

I am a graduate of MTSU (1998) - a returning student that took many years to complete her degree (no snickering). I started in 1987, quit, and came back in 1993 much more focused. One of my goals was to receive my Bachelor degree by the time I reached the age of 30, and I squeaked in at 29 (thank you very much). My course of study was Child Development and Family. My intention is to receive a Master’s in CDFS, focusing on families involved with the courts and the practice of mediation, but for the time being I stay very busy with my job and family.

Ah, family?! Well, I recently married in May of 2002, my high school sweetheart, Todd Snell I acquired along with my husband, two wonderful stepsons – Josh and Zach. They are 11 and 8 yrs old, respectively. So, as you can imagine, they do keep me pretty busy! If I never use my B.S. degree for anything else, I certainly get daily use of it with both boys. A very large dog, named Pearl (a Great Pyrenees) and two old cats named Woody and J.J. complete our little family.

The story behind my marriage, and it’s a sweet one so I have to tell you, is that Todd and I met in high school and “went steady” for three years. We both went on to other relationships, but remained friends. He married right after high school and I went out into the great big world. After a few more boyfriends, marriages (for both), a couple of children and many years, Todd looked me up again (a lot of hard work, I might add) and HERE we are. Basically, we hav e known each other for 18 years and finally got our timing right after several tries. Neither of us were married or in a relationship at the time, and the rest, as they say, is history. Okay, collective sigh…..

I joined the Political Science Department in January of 2000. What brought me here, you might ask? I have long been interested in families and law and how the two find themselves intertwined way too often. I interned as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) in 1998 & 1999, representing abused and neglected children in the courts. These children were “wards of the state” and had already been removed from their home. This internship opportunity opened my eyes to reveal the pitfalls of custody battles, poor parenting skills and the nature of the system. I’m not sure if I made a difference, or not, but it sure made a difference in my life.

So, here I am. I can say with certainty that my political views have expanded tremendously since joining the department. I was an “ostrich with my head stuck in the sand”, so to speak. I am much more active and aware than ever in my life. Perhaps it is the influence of my surroundings, perhaps it is my age, and perhaps it is the political climate. Who knows? It has been an interesting 3 years, to say the least!

Another goal in my life has been to travel. I have managed to do much of that, over the years, but still dream about that next trip all the time! My parents travel full-time, so I guess you could say, I got the bug naturally. As a child, we traveled all over the U.S. – just me, my mom and dad and the family dog. I have been to all the states except Wisconsin, North Dakota and Alaska. Not bad, eh? Not even exactly sure why I haven’t visited those three, but hopefully, there is still time! After graduating from MTSU, I took a 32-day, world wind tour of Europe. I visited the British Isles (England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales) and then went on to France, Switzerland and Holland. Whew! I said world wind, didn’t I? More recently, my husband and I spent three weeks in Ireland for our honeymoon. A fabulous time. Highly recommend Ireland. The people are incredibly endearing and the land – absolutely breathtaking! If traveling is your thing, I have lots of tidbits and advice. Let’s talk!

Perhaps the only other interest I have stronger than the desire to travel is music.What can I say, except that I was a very lucky girl for a while. I have met and hung out with many rock stars, but I won’t bore you with the details. If you so desire, please come by – I’d love to reminisce, discuss my collection, what’s new in music and, oh yeah, make you jealous! (Let’s just say…does Ozzie Osbourne, Lenny Kravitz, Jewel, or Korn mean anything to you?!) Just a sample! On the “cool scale” – I rate very high with my sons!

Well, that about sums it up. I am always, and I stress, ALWAYS willing to help. So please don’t hesitate to ask. You can find me in the office in Peck Hall 209 or you can call me at 898-2708 or email pdavis@mtsu.edu.If there is anything I don’t know the answer to, well, I’ll know where to go to get it. Our office is pretty relaxed and open to all who pass through – so make a point to do that – pass through! You will find everyone incredibly helpful and on most days, pretty friendly too!

See you
P.