Lewis Franklin

I have lead a very interesting life. Through the good times and the bad I have always believed that there is reason for most things. My earliest memories are of drawing with crayons and sleeping against a golden retriever deep in the heart of Oregon's Willamette Valley. I had always thought that art or animals would be my life, as it turned out I did not have the head for veterinary medicine and so I turned to art. The funny thing is that I did not finally decide on a direction until after serving 2 years in the Army and trying a career in business. It was not until 1992 that I decided to pursue and education in Design. Through the mentor ship of one of the greatest teachers I have ever known, I became a designer and was hired by a firm two weeks out of school. Within a few years I discovered an all new career field that I had not even considered, teaching. My work teaching started at Chemeketa Community College and then I eventually ended up at Linn-Benton Community College. Quickly after being hired I was sent as part of the National Guard to Ft. Hood and then to Iraq. We were away from home for about 18 months during what I would coin as the wild west days in Iraq 2003 - 2005. We returned to Oregon in the spring and were deployed to Katrina by the following fall. In 2009 I was again deployed to Iraq and spent my entire deployment at the Victory Base Complex. Acting has always been a fun side distraction for me since High School, so I tend to take those opportunities when they present themselves.