"Get to Know Your Fellow Classmate"

My name is Laureen Kinnaman Coutts, I am 47 years old, I have 4 children ages 24, 21, 19, & 10. I grew up on the northern California coast in the Redwoods near the Oregon border. I was a competitive swimmer through high school, and also ran cross country and track.
I attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, California from 1980 – 1983, and had the opportunity to help with the L.A. Olympics in 1984—specifically the Water Polo events that were held at Pepperdine. That was one of the highlights of my life.
I was married in 1982, and moved to northern California where my husband and I owned and operated a computer store for 10+ years. We also were involved in church activities and raising our children.
My family and I moved to Idaho (Teton Valley) in 2000. While living there we enjoyed skiing Targhee and building our own home. I worked as a customer service representative for a telecommunications company there. My marriage ended in 2007, at which time I decided to move to Pocatello to attend ISU. My original intention was to pursue nursing, however, I found that teaching is what I really want to do. My major is Physical Education/Secondary Education, and my minor is Biology.
For fun, I run about 30-50 miles per week, and compete in 10k races and ½ marathons. My goal is to run a full marathon next summer here in Pocatello. In January of 2010, I will be travelling to Phoenix to run the Arizona Rock n Roll ½ marathon. The Rock n Roll races are a lot of fun—there is a band playing every mile, along with lots of goodies and a concert at the end of the race. It’s also warm in Arizona in January, and I am looking forward to thawing out a little!
I am so pleased to be part of the ISU COE, and I am honored to spend time with the fantastic people in the Sport Science department, and the entire College of Education.
As a side note, I encourage all of you to apply for the Teach Grant. It’s easy to apply for, and the extra $2,000 per semester is wonderful!