Travis Alonzo, News Reporter
It is a special thing when graduates value their school so much that they decide to come back and teach there. Trinity Christian Academy currently welcomes back five alumni: Hannah Baker, Joseph King, Lucy Hughes, Hannah Mitchell, and Allison Baker. Each teacher brings their own skills and experiences that they gained during their time at TCA. Now, they are able to use those experiences to teach, encourage, and guide the next generation of TCA students. Returning to TCA gives these teachers the opportunity to give back to the school that helped shape them and make an impact on students just like their own teachers once did for them.
Two of these alumni are Ms. Baker and Mr. King, who both returned to TCA to teach. Ms. Baker, a 2018 graduate, returned because of the atmosphere and culture she remembered from her time as a student. Before coming back as a full-time teacher, she was subbing at several different schools, but TCA stood out to her because of the respectful students and friendly staff. She said she “just really loved the atmosphere and the culture that TCA has” and felt that it was “just a great place for me to come back to.” Mr. King, a 2019 graduate, also felt drawn to return to TCA because of the impact his teachers had on him. He explained that his teachers “poured into me so much” and that it was “always on my heart to come back to return to TCA and serve where I was poured into so much.” Both teachers are enjoying their return to TCA and now have the opportunity to give back to the school that had such an impact on them.
Even though Ms. Baker and Mr. King are now teachers at TCA, they still have many memories from when they were students. Ms. Baker said her favorite experience from high school was playing Mary Poppins in the school musical. She described it as “such a fun time” and said it was one of her favorite things she did while she was at TCA. Mr. King also has several favorite memories from his time at TCA. He said some of his favorites were “homecoming week, and then I really enjoyed serving in student council.” These experiences helped make TCA special to them and played a part in their decision to return. Now, both teachers get to make new memories while working at the same school where they once walked the halls.
Having alumni return to TCA as teachers is something special for both the teachers and the school. Ms. Baker and Mr. King both had teachers who made an impact on them while they were students, and they now have the opportunity to make that same kind of impact on their own students. They are able to bring their experiences as students into their classrooms while creating new experiences as teachers. Their decision to return shows how much TCA can impact someone’s life, even after graduation. Former students returning to become part of the school in a new way is a unique reminder of the lasting impact TCA can have on its students.
