Our Students. Their Stories.
Some have won awards for their dedication to students. Others landed in the classroom after years of dreaming of the day they could teach. Still others changed their careers midstream when they had an epiphany that teaching was what they were “meant to do.”
What they all have in common is a desire to build community in their schools, pass on their love of learning, and do their part to serve as mentors to the next generation.
‘Teaching for me is all about community’
Christa Rohrbach will often get the question – the one that so many in her profession hear when she tells people what she does for a living.
“Why would you want to teach middle school students?”
In response, Rohrbach will offer a smile and speak to the importance of her role – that of being a builder of confidence, leadership and community.
“I get a lot of people who think I’m crazy for wanting to teach middle school, but there’s something really special about that time in our lives,” says Rohrbach, a former Regional Teacher of the Year in Oregon.
‘Thank you, George Fox, for accepting me’
Sara Noelle Goodman first applied to George Fox in 1993, but then life happened. Unable to afford an education, she shifted gears to focus on the responsibilities that come with a career and raising a family.
Fast forward to 2019. Goodman, with the encouragement of friends, a faintly remembered dream of higher education, and armed with her greatest strength – resiliency – jumped back into college headfirst. She went on to earn an MAT degree five years later.
“It’s been 30 years since I graduated high school, and I have worked hard to gain the knowledge, experience, skills and confidence I now possess – to walk into any school, anywhere, and teach a well-designed, well-planned lesson with aligned assessments. I am proud I stood up on graduation day – Dec. 14, 2024 – as the first one in my entire family to ever earn a master's degree.”
‘I get to model kindness and caring for children’
What is the motivation to teach? For Katelyn Dover, the answer is multifaceted. Certainly the privilege of educating the next generation is toward the top of the list. And instilling value in children – seeing them, listening to them – is a factor.
Beyond that, Dover sees the profession as an opportunity to make an impact in her community by connecting to families she otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to interact with.
“I get to offer comfort during difficult times by promising that, regardless of what is happening outside of school hours, their children will be cared for while in class,” says Dover, a former Regional Teacher of the Year in the state of Oregon.
‘My favorite part is seeing the ‘aha’ moments in students’
Joshua Varon, a former Oregon Teacher of the Year, recognizes that all students are unique and have different needs. To that end, he’s constantly evolving his teaching practices and trying new methods to better serve them.
“Evolving teaching practices is important because society is always changing and students themselves are always changing – there is no one size fits all,” says Varon, a seventh-grade teacher at Leslie Middle School in Salem, Oregon. “Leaning into new teaching methods is key.”
That’s why Varon is always looking to provide new and different opportunities for students to engage with the material. His students include auditory, verbal, visual, collaborative, multi-language and special-needs learners, and Varon is determined to meet these students where they’re at.
‘I’ve always felt comfortable and at home in schools’
Brittany Morales had reached a crossroads. Her plan to go to law school didn’t materialize, and now she was working as a barista, unsure of what direction she wanted to go with her life.
Like so many who graduate with a bachelor’s degree that doesn’t lead to a job in their chosen field of study – in her case political science and sociology – Morales admits it was a difficult time. “I was in this awkward place in my life, because I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted,” she recalls.
One thing she was certain of was the fact she always felt comfortable in a school setting. So, when the opportunity arose for her to volunteer in a classroom, she jumped at the chance.
Little did she know it would lead to a new career.
‘Helping students change their lives was more important to me than working in corporate America’
It seems no matter what career path he chooses to take, all roads eventually lead back to the classroom for Jake Redmond.
Perhaps it’s because he learns so much from his students – from their entrepreneurial ideas to their takes on life – or because he relishes the idea of shaping the next generation. Whatever the reasons, Redmond, a high school teacher at Aloha High School in Aloha, Oregon, has discovered that nothing brings him more joy or fulfillment than seeing his students thrive.
As he sees it, it’s all about leaving a legacy.
“That’s the big question,” he says. “What legacy are you going to leave in your community? How are you going to impact those that you come across in the community and on campus?”