Around Crofton: Life's journey takes many turns for teacher

In late 2007, Marni Barron gathered her two young sons and traveled 500 miles from Lansing, Mich. to Crofton for one very special reason: To seek better medical care for her child.

She sought that care at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. for her youngest son who suffers from ulcerative colitis, a somewhat rare colon disease in children.

Without a job or family in the area, Marni took a leap of faith and invested in a home in Crofton, sight unseen, only after viewing it on the Internet.

"I knew they needed teachers in D.C. and I wanted to go where no one else wanted to be," said Marni,...