From student to staff Clarke Central High School alumni reflect on their experiences moving from student to staff positions.
Above: CLASS OF 2002: Clarke Central High School social studies department teacher Kalli James-Wyrick works with CCHS freshman Jose Manuel Alejandro on Jan. 24. Wyrick graduated from CCHS in 2002 and recently returned as a teacher. “I enjoyed my time (at CCHS) for the most part besides the typical high school drama, and I thought Athens was a nice place to live,” James-Wyrick said. “It was pretty nice to be in an environment that I already knew (when I) started out teaching, because teaching is really hard and to have that kind of safety net a little bit in your first year is kind of nice.” Photo by Gerardo Navarro
STORY BY MAGGIE KELLEHER News Staffer
PHOTOS BY GERARDO NAVARRO Photographer
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ut of 185 teachers and staff working at Clarke Central High School, 14 of them attended CCHS when they were students. Having attended the school, these teachers hold unique insights into current students’ day-to-day experience. For some CCHS teachers, including science department teacher Roenessa Witcher, returning to CCHS was not their original plan. “After I graduated from Piedmont (College) and finished my student teaching, I always wanted to teach outside of Athens,” Witcher said. “Because, I mean, this is where I grew up. I just wanted to experience something different.” However, according to CCHS physical education teacher Alex Holmes, his positive experience as a student at CCHS immediately sparked his interest in pursuing a teaching career at his alma mater. “I always wanted to come back for sure to see what it was like. You graduate from your high school and, regardless of what your experience is, it’s still a part of you,” Holmes said. “I had an overall pretty good experience, so (I) wanted to come back and try to give back and try to be a positive influence.”
Features
February 2020
28
