She is a National Board Certified Teacher, the most prestigious and highest teaching credential in the educational world. The genealogy bug was planted in Cheri with the 5th grade history project. Her maternal grandmother gave her some material which she used for the project. She used it later for a Girl Scout badge. She pulled out the information many times and wondered about her family and how she could learn more. Some of this material is still incorporated into her current presentations. She has done research in many states, even taking a trip overseas in search of her Portuguese ancestry.