The Woodward Alumni Hall of Fame Association

When were important and/or humorous things that happened to you at  Woodward? It was my Junior Year, and I played softball. We had the end-of-the-season tournament that weekend and Tammy Murphy and I played catch-between games. Well, she decided to be funny and instead of picking up the overthrown ball I threw to her she found a golf ball, and threw it back to me. I didn’t realize it was a golf ball until it came down into my glove and through the webbing of my mitt and hit me right in the forehead. I immediately got a huge goose egg and a bruise on my forehead. It hurt like heck, and I had to play the next few games looking like a fool.

Tell us some of your favorite memories at Woodward. My memories revolve around the annual homecoming festivities. Homecomings were always a special place for me. Every year we would build floats for our class in my garage and develop new ideas based on the theme. It was a lot of work, but it was always so much fun. I thank my parents, Becky, and Terry Brocus, for allowing us to use our garage to build and store the floats and all the materials that go with them at our home and always welcoming my classmates into our lives and giving them a safe place. I strive to be that parent to my children and their friends. I think about that a lot now that my girls are getting older, and I would rather have everyone at my home vs. somewhere else. It takes a tribe to raise your family, and I am blessed that my parents were that for my friends, and I want to be that for my friend's kids and my children's friends.

Receiving scholarship funds from the Hall of Fame helped start my college career in the right direction. I am the youngest in my family and I really wanted to go to a college that would help me become a successful professional and with the help of this fund it allowed me to.

Who were your favorite teachers at Woodward? Why? Coach Gary Mayeski was my Geometry teacher in my sophomore year. I was one of the only girls in the class with a bunch of upper-class athletes. I really enjoyed math and particularly geometry. He made it fun to learn, would work with me to come up with new formulas, and was just an all-around great person and teacher. He is missed.

Did any Woodward staff members have a profound effect on you? Who? In what way did they affect you? Bob and Alice Murray. They were my volleyball coaches and pushed me to be the best I could be every time I stepped on the court. But not just that, they were our biggest cheerleaders. Yeah, they were hard on us but for good reason. They also believed in us and pushed us because they believed in us. I think back to when we had to do line drills after practice because we lost to Start High School, the school Alice’s niece went to. It was a good three games, but they came out on top, so we had to do line drills after practice. That’s when I dislocated my rotator cuff because I was competitive, and I didn’t want my teammates to beat me to the finish. I ended up being out the rest of the season, but that always sticks with me because no matter what they wanted us to do was to be our best. For the rest of the season, I was able to help coach and learn how to be a good leader for my team, even though I didn’t get to play. I will forever remember Bob and Alice and how they made me a better person and a better leader.
 
While at Woodward, did you have any nicknames? What were they? What is the story behind them? Brocus, Smalls, Peffercorn. Brocus because it was my maiden name. Smalls because, well, it’s no secret I am short and always have been. So, Smalls just seem to fit, and Peffercorn because of Wendy Peffercorn from Sandlot. If you have ever watched the movie Sandlot, you know both characters

How did you feel when you were informed of this honor? It is an honor to be recognized as a Hall of Fame. I really thought I didn’t deserve this; what really have I done to deserve this while so many of my fellow graduates are serving our communities to keep us safe like those that have and are serving in the military, our police, fire, and first responders out here still serving our community today. I have worked hard to get where I am, and I am blessed to be able to accept this honor on behalf of all my fellow classmates who are making a difference every day.

Are you married? Please tell us about your family members-- children, grandchildren, etc. I am married with two beautiful children, Kylee, 15, a freshman, and Reese, 12, 6th grade. Derron and I met during my freshman year in College at the University of Toledo, where I studied Communications with a minor in Psychology. We live in Texas and will celebrate our 20th Anniversary in May 2023.
 

We have three rescue dogs, Boomer - Yellow Lab, 6 yrs., Cally -Black lab mix, 4 yrs., and Boomer, our foster fail and Calahoola Hound/Great Dane mix, 3 yrs.

What do you do for fun? I enjoy crafting, cooking, working out, traveling, reading, playing sports, decorating, and being healthy. The bigger the adventure, the better! I like to plan, but one of my favorite things is to call a friend and just go spontaneously on a trip. I enjoy escape rooms and giving back to those that are in need. We do a lot of volunteering and like to help those that are less fortunate than we are.