ALUMNI
WARRIOR ALUMNI IN EDUCATION & THEIR ALMA MATER INFLUENCES By Bekah Johnson, Advancement & Alumni Relations
Every great teacher has an origin story, and it almost always includes a special someone who inspired that journey into the classroom. This article highlights our graduates who work in education and their tributes to the WVCA/LRCA teachers who made a difference in their lives. We know these alumni (listed in graduation year order) are in turn influencing future generations of exceptional educators.
Heather Lubansky Garrett ‘00: General Education PreK Teacher in an inclusive half-day program at Barbara Vick Early Childhood and Family Center, a Chicago Public School on the south side of Chicago The teachers that had the biggest impact on me at WVCA were Sandy Bakke as an English/Creative Writing teacher and Yearbook Coordinator, and Danny Erlandson for History, Worldview, and Quizbowl. They taught me about the social emotional aspect of teaching and the importance of creating a positive classroom environment full of love and respect. My mother, Marian Lubansky, did not teach Math at WVCA until after I graduated, but she was my forever math tutor and inspired me to become a teacher because of her patience and talent. I feel lucky that I had the best models who encouraged critical thinking and that made me the person I am today.
36 THE WARRIOR • SPRING 2022
Ashlyn Bickings McKelva ‘02: 4th Grade Teacher in Sherman, TX Janet Boyd was by far the most impactful. She had a unique and out-of-the-box way of teaching creative writing and how to annotate while reading to deepen comprehension. She was fun and engaging, while being tough on her expectations for writing and reading. I learned more from her about writing papers than I did in college. I was always helping others write papers in college, and I don’t struggle writing papers in grad school either. It’s all due to the strong foundation she laid and cultivated. I always leaned towards liking ELAR (English Language Arts and Reading) more than math or science, but after having her for two years, I absolutely fell in love with reading and writing. I’m active in two book clubs and read at least one book a month. I still have my Great Expectations book from her class. She had us write a short summary on each page in the margin and that was the BEST visual method for gaining comprehension and note-taking. I can’t get rid of that book because of her.
