Nika Maples, a native Texan, planned to become a broadcast journalist. By her sophomore year in college, everything changed. A massive brainstem stroke left Nika quadriplegic shortly after her 20th birthday. She could not speak, swallow, or blink. Physicians warned her family that she had as little as 48 hours to live. If she lived at all, they said, she could be expected to remain unresponsive. She had lost all functionality and had no hope of recovery. Almost a year and many physical therapy sessions later, she walked back onto her college campus on her own two feet. Through this experience, Nika learned that whatever we choose to do with our handful of moments on earth, it is critical… that we make those moments significant by serving others. She could think of no better way to serve than to help educate today's youth. After she had taught in public schools only four years, the Texas Education Agency honored Nika by naming her 2007 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year. Currently, she shares her message of hope with education, business, and church audiences everywhere, while continuing to teach language arts to 6th grade students in Keller, Texas.