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Kristal Kuehl Tammy Davis English Composition I 18 September 2013

Biography of Katy (Scott) Britton Kathleen Katy Scott was born April 17, 1954 in Altus, OK. She grew up on the family farm near Dodson, TX. When Katy was four years old, her mother abandoned her to return to college. Due to this abandonment, Katy was raised by her father and paternal grandmother. Katy attended West Texas A&M College, where she met Kevin Britton, the man she would eventually marry. After marriage, Kevin and Katy wanted to start a family, but struggled with infertility. In 1980, they adopted their son, Matthew. The family moved to Edmond, OK where Matthew grew up. Upon becoming an adult, Matthew chose the road of rebellion, and drug addiction. Dealing with her sons life choices taught Katy the greatest life lesson she would ever learn; I cant, God can, and I choose to let him. Katy now lives with her husband Kevin, in Edmond, Oklahoma where she is very active in her church. She has opened her heart to two children in the church and has adopted them as grandchildren. From Victim to Victor I am fearfully and wonderfully made. That is a scripture most Christian children know by heart before entering their teen years. To a child raised in a loving Christian home, the thought of being wonderfully made might be an easy belief to accept. However, when a child is abandoned by either one of their parents, fear, insecurity, and low self-esteem trump any feeling

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of being wonderfully made. If the very people that brought you into this world do not care enough to be a daily part of your life, there must be something wrong with you, right? This is the belief Katy Britton carried throughout her life until God took her through a refining process that left her blessed by the brokenness of her past and thankful that she experienced all that she had experienced. Her trials led her closer to God, sharpened her faith, and set her life on a path that could have only been designed by God himself. Hanging onto fear, anger, bitterness, and control is a prison that will keep you from love, joy, happiness, and peace. Katy had a childhood full of fear and insecurity. Even when her mother returned to her life when Katy was eight years old, she was still left with the fear that her mother would abandon her again. The fact that her mothers work took precedence over her role as mother did not help Katys fear. As Katy grew older, her fear of abandonment turned into low self-esteem. She vowed she would one day become a mother and would never choose a job over the needs of her children. She felt that somehow, by being a successful mother, she could save herself from her own pain and abandonment. She consumed herself with the dream of becoming the perfect mother and providing a happy home where all her childrens friends would want to hang out. Katys dream of becoming the perfect mother was met with the frustration of infertility. After years of struggle, Kevin and Katy decided adoption was the way they were to become parents. In 1980, they adopted their son, Matthew. After adopting Matthew, the family moved to Edmond, Oklahoma, where Katy struggled to fulfill her dream of being a perfect mother. She soon learned that being a mother did not fill the void she always dreamed it would. It seemed no matter how hard she tried to be perfect, she failed. The pain of her past and the failure of being perfect threw her into a depression that lasted her sons entire childhood. It was through this experience that Katy was forced to accept defeat and find victory by working through her past

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emotional issues and learned how to love herself. Until she had this revelation, life was filled with nothing but pain. Being a parent changed me because I was forced to accept defeat and find recovery and victory by working through my past emotional issues and learning to love myself and see myself as worthy of Gods love, Katy says. As Matthew grew into an adult, he chose the path of addiction and rebellion. Katy attempted to save her son from this lifestyle and later learned the hard way that her actions were enabling him, and that she is nobodys savior. Katy had to completely surrender her life to God and give up her need to know in order to find peace. Due to Katys childhood, she felt she always had to be in control. She had to know what was going to happen, how it was going to happen, and if at all possible, she was going to have to be in control of her circumstances at all times. God revealed to her that faith and trust in him is all a person needs. Once she learned she could trust God with her life and circumstances, she began the process of giving her son and his problems, over to God. Katy had to realize that God is the only one who could save Matthew and that his life choices are not a result of her being an imperfect mother. They are a result of his attempt to fill a void in his own life with things rather than God. Katy prays her son will admit he has a problem and turn his hurt over to God. Ive learned you cant fix anything until you admit you have a problem. Denial of issues must be eliminated, she says. Katy watches as her son bounces between addiction and sobriety, but it no longer takes a toll on her self- worth. She says that The lesson I have learned from past relationships is to not put my trust in people, but to put my faith in God and trust in God. People will always let me down. God lifts me back up. Katy would like to one day be a motivational speaker.

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God has allowed me to go through the many adversities in which I have been challenged: the death of my grandmother and my mother both from terminal cancer, the death of my dad, infertility, abandonment issues in childhood as well as my 33 year marriage, the rejection of my son and his alcohol and drug addictions, not having a close knit family to celebrate birthday sand holidays, low self-esteem, and self-hatred. I believe I can relate to the hurts, habits and hang-ups of many, she says.

Having a servants heart and willingness to stand in the gap for many who are suffering, is what Katy says she would like be remembered for. I hope the changes God has wrought in my life would be an example of how to find peace, love, joy, and happiness despite your circumstances. Katy currently serves as a mentor to many and a sponsor through the Celebrate Recovery program in her church. She encourages everyone to deal with hurts from their past. She believes youre only as sick as your secrets, and that a person cannot begin to heal until they have removed the toxic poison of unforgiveness. Katy is fully aware just how toxic unforgiveness can be as it caused so much fear, anger, and bitterness in her own life. Now, having healed from the pain, she is able to fully enjoy a life bursting with love, joy, happiness, and peace, all because she made one decision and that was the decision to let go and let God. Katys life has been a testimony to the power of true forgiveness. Learning to turn her fears and insecurities over to God is what ultimately changed the course of her life. Had Katy never accomplished this feat, she never would have known the peace and happiness that she now

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feels. Katy would still be stuck in the co-dependent trap of trying to save herself and her son. She would still demand perfection from herself, and never being able to accomplish that, she would have remained in that lonely depression she knew most of her life. One of Katys favorite quotes is life is about progress, not perfection. That quote has become her mantra as she reaches out to other hurting women and helps them become the woman God created them to be. Autobiography of Kristal Kuehl Kristal (Nugent) Kuehl grew up on a farm outside Yale, Oklahoma. After high school she traveled between Oklahoma and California for a year before finally meeting, and marrying, Tony Kuehl. They were married shortly after Kristal turned 20. Together they had four children, and raised their niece. The marriage was a rocky one, riddled with addiction, abuse, and adultery. Moving around from state to state did not help with the already fragile relationship. Finally reaching her breaking point, Kristal left her husband after 12 years of marriage. Kristal came back to Oklahoma, where, for the first time, she took control of her life. She now juggles life as a single mother, college student, and employee. Kristal does not have much spare time, but in the rare occasions she has some extra time, she enjoys hanging out with her friends and exercising. Kristal now lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She is a freshman at Northern Oklahoma College where she is pursuing a degree in nursing.

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