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.

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.

David Huitink ‘02: Professor of Mechanical Engineering at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville - Materials Science & Engineering (sophomore level), Modern Principles & Applications of Thermal Transport (senior/grad) and Electronics Reliability (grad level) Probably Linda Neaves, who taught me first and second grade, and played a significant role in coming to place my faith in Jesus. But professionally, Jim Boles taught me that science is fun and exciting. And I still have fun researching and teaching scientific principles. Memorable Mr. Boles quote: "Better watch out for that dihydrogen monoxide... dangerous stuff! Breathe it in and you're a goner!"

Rachael Gatewood Metcalf ‘04: 6th and 8th Grade English Teacher at Elmwood Middle School for Rogers Public Schools (9th and 10th grade English at Bentonville High School next year) Mrs. Chami had the biggest impact on my life. As my first grade teacher, she struck the perfect balance of creating a structured learning environment based on love. Her discipline was firm when needed, but it was clearly motivated by her love for her students and a desire to see her students succeed. She was also the principal for my two oldest daughters while we lived in Little Rock, and she continued that legacy for them. She leads the LRCA Lower School with loving discipline so that students can flourish. I seek to strike that perfect balance as a teacher and a mother, and I am so thankful for Mrs. Chami’s example to follow.

Amanda Glenn ‘05: High School Biblical Worldview Teacher at LRCA The impact WVCA/LRCA teachers have had on my life is truly immeasurable. I could write for hours about several! I fell in love with history in middle school learning under Mrs. Swedenburg. She certainly made the subject interesting, but above all she made me feel seen. I loved school and worked hard, but it was difficult for me. Mrs. Swedenburg held all her students to the same standards of excellence, but a high performer was not treated as more valuable than a quiet, weak test-taker (who loved learning). There was a little spark that Mrs. Swedenburg lit in me that continues to flame my pursuit of learning. She made me realize that learning is not about natural skills. A Master of Arts in Church History and the pursuit of a Doctorate in Education are evidence that I have had the best educators in the world and I want to follow in their footsteps!

Sarah Berry Davis ‘06: 6th Grade Science Teacher at LRCA The teacher that had the biggest impact on my life was Mrs. Teresa Walker. She was the biggest encourager for me and pushed me to be a better student and encouraged me in my walk with Christ. Because of her (and many other teachers) I became a teacher. Her influence in my life went way beyond just that 8th grade classroom and even inspired my desire to work in Christian education!

John Lepine '09: Founding Principal, Crossover Preparatory Academy, Tulsa, OK Even though nothing could replace the five-year education that was Quiz Bowl with Mr. Erlandson, as an English teacher myself, I have to express an enormous debt of gratitude to Mrs. Boyd. She demanded the very best from her students as writers, and the skills that we honed in her class were of endless value to me in college, grad school, and my career as an educator.

Rachel Stuart Butler ‘10: Special Education Teacher for preschoolers in the Little Rock School District I had many wonderful teachers during my time at LRCA, but I would have to say Mrs. Tarpley had the biggest impact. She was challenging, fun and prioritized our learning even if it meant changing things up, which I appreciate even more now that I’m a teacher. I’d also have to say Anita Pride. I didn’t have her as a teacher, but had the privilege of interning in her Kindergarten classroom at LRCA during J-Term my senior year. I loved her class and her willingness to mentor me. She helped me decide to major in early childhood education in college at the University of Arkansas.

Mallory Woolf Jones ‘10: 3rd Grade Teacher at Crawford Elementary in Russellville, AR There are so many teachers that have impacted me, but it’s a tie between Ms. Laura Wilkie and Mrs. Nancy Crow. They both helped me through tough times in my elementary years after losing several important people in my life. They were my safe place at school. This helped me decide that teaching was my calling, because I wanted to be there for my students and love them like they did for me.

Elizabeth Hill Bingham ‘11: High School Academic and College Counselor at LRCA So many of my LRCA teachers were impactful in my life. If I had to choose, it would be Rosa Root. She was my math teacher for 6th through 8th grade. She made me feel truly seen and known and brought a lot of joy to my middle school years. She was creative with her math lessons (I think everyone remembers her Pi day celebrations!) and created a close-knit classroom environment. She challenged us and helped us push ourselves academically. She was an inspirational person to me for all of these reasons, and it was a gift to have her steady encouraging presence in my life for middle school and high school. Now as a counselor, I love getting to know students through all four years of high school and be an encouragement to them, the way Mrs. Root was to me.

Caroline Groustra ‘12: Science Teacher at Lonoke High School - Environmental Science, AP Environmental Science, Anatomy & Physiology, and AP Biology I believe that Mr. Erlandson, better known as Erlo, had the biggest impact on my life. I learned several extremely important life lessons from him, including that there are at least two sides to everything, and that stopping to listen and critically thinking about both sides is not an admission of defeat. Debate and discussion on all varieties of topics is how we come to well-reasoned decisions and beliefs. I am grateful to have gained that knowledge in high school. I have tried to carry this idea into my science teaching! I want my students to ask a question. Create a hypothesis. Disagree. Have an opinion! I want them to use their minds to be creative and look at things from every perspective, just like I was taught by Erlo. He clearly loved being a part of our lives not just for nine months of school but even afterwards. I strive to give my students the same sense of support and love.

Taylor Ann Allred Tlapek ‘12: Kindergarten Teacher at Creekside Elementary School in Franklin, TN Debbie Norman was my Kindergarten teacher. She had the biggest impact on my life because she always made me feel safe, seen, loved and made learning fun every day. Those are the qualities I strive to have as a teacher today.

Megan Kelley ‘12: Kindergarten Teacher at LRCA One teacher that had a big impact on my life was Mrs. Walker, my high school English teacher. Mrs. Walker had a unique way of not only calling us up to academic excellence, but also showing deep care and compassion for each student. She ended every class with an "I love you!" Knowing and feeling the love that she had for me gave me a confidence that I will never forget. Being on the other side now as a teacher myself, I make it a point to look each of my students in the eyes and tell them, "I love you!" Mrs. Walker was a prime example of the quote by Maya Angelou: "I've learned that people may forget what you said, people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Will Duncan '13: High School History Teacher at LRCA Mrs. Swedenburg. At the time, her class was 20th Century History. This was my favorite class in high school. The respect she had for the content allowed us to see the importance of the material. Her daily devotions and prayer helped keep high school grounded in a Christcentered foundation. When I came into this field and thought about what kind of teacher I wanted to be, Mrs. Swedenburg was the first inspiration that came to mind.

Caitlin Bennett Elkins ‘13: 3rd Grade Math Teacher at Northside Elementary in Clinton, MS I would say that Kay Daniels had the biggest impact on my life. Ms. Daniels showed me the impact that teachers can have on a student’s life when they take the time to build relationships. She took time out of her day to have meaningful conversations with us as her students and provided a safe place/trusted adult for me at school. I always knew that was special, but until I was a teacher myself I didn’t know just how important that was. Ms. Daniels also was a great example of what it is like to walk daily with the Lord. She showed us what it was like to live your faith out and have true joy no matter your circumstances.

Anna Grace Ledbetter Terrell '14: Kindergarten Interventionist at Brentfield Elementary in RISD (Dallas, TX) Kay Daniels and Maggie Chism, because they have hearts of gold and poured into each one of their students. They had a passion for their job each day and worked to connect with us.

Tori Alan Allred Avery '14: 3rd Grade Teacher at Osage Creek Elementary in Bentonville, AR Gail Williams had the biggest impact on my life and my career choice. She was not only my Kindergarten teacher, but also a mentor to me as I helped out in her class when I was in high school. Her passion for teaching and her students are something I will always admire.

Karsen Baer Fletcher ‘14: 3rd Grade Teacher at Joe Mathias Elementary in Rogers, AR There were many reasons why I went into the teaching profession, and the teachers at Little Rock Christian played a big part in that. I had the privilege to be in Mrs. Swedenburg's class twice. In her speech class, Mrs. Swedenburg helped me build up my confidence in speaking in front of others. She taught me how to engage an audience and how to communicate my ideas clearly. I'm grateful for Mrs. Swedenburg's time she invested to help me be a successful public speaker. I use the skills I learned every day when teaching!