Alumnae Now Teachers

Currently in our twenty-first year of existence, Loganville Christian Academy is proud of so many of its graduates over the years who have moved on to do great things. It is also an honor for a few of them to return to LCA and use their training and abilities to carry on the legacy here. This year LCA is privileged to have three alumnae serving at LCA as teachers. We asked them a few questions about their time at LCA . . . then and now.

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Karen Wages

LCA Class of 2005
7th & 8th History Teacher

When you were in high school, what did you envision yourself doing after graduation?

During my senior year, I had a five-year plan: I was going to graduate from high school, go to college, get my teaching degree, and come back to LCA to teach. God had different plans for me. It took me a little longer to graduate (eight years), but God used that time to teach me about patience and His timing and about all He has planned for my life.

What major did you pursue, where, and why?

I was a math major at first, but eventually I switched to United States History, which is the degree I earned. I love the story that you can follow with history. 

How did LCA prepare you for your college experience?

I was prepared for college both academically and spiritually. Academically, I was prepared to write a well-written research paper and how to go about that process because I was taught that in high school. I was also prepared spiritually to be able to share my faith, know what I believe and why, as well as to deal with certain situations that presented themselves.

How did specific teachers impact you? Did you have any favorite classes and activities?

I had several teachers who impacted me. Mr. Dorsey made our Bible class interactive and fun. The most memorable thing in that class was probably the debate about evolution. We had to learn what evolution was, what people believed, and how to defend what we believe against that.

Mrs. Ingle was my public speaking teacher my senior year. I hated (and sometimes still do) getting up in front of people, but she taught me how to prepare my thoughts or arguments ahead of time and be able to present them in an organized way.

Many other teachers impacted me because of the way they loved us students. I received encouraging letters from some of them when I went on a mission trip, telling me how they would be praying for me while I was gone. 

In middle school, my favorite class was probably my history class. I remember doing a project on the American Revolution. We became news anchors for the different battles, but we were able to modernize it a little bit and make it fun. We then videoed it. Every now and then the video resurfaces, and it makes for a good laugh.

What are you most excited about as a teacher now at LCA?

I am most excited about the opportunity to show my students that history can be really fun to learn about. It doesn’t have to be boring. It’s a great big story. It’s God’s story. Also, I love getting to know the students even more and having that relationship with them. I want them to know that yes, I am their teacher, but I also love them and am here for them if they ever needed anything.

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Jenny Medlin

LCA Class of 2006
High School English Teacher

When you were in high school, what did you envision yourself doing after graduation?

I always envisioned myself living anywhere but the U.S. My plan was to get an ESL degree so I could teach overseas, preferably in Europe. My first car was a stick shift because most cars in Europe (at the time) were manual transmissions. 

What major did you pursue, where, and why?

I ended up pursuing a BA in Romance Languages from UGA. My major was Spanish and my minor Portuguese. I ended up falling in love with Comparative Literature, thanks to an elective I took, and I stayed to do my MA in Comparative Literature. To be honest, I stayed with the Romance Languages major because I could finish it the quickest. I enjoyed my MA program immensely more than my undergrad. This is probably because I am studious—i.e., a nerd—by nature.

How did specific teachers impact you? Did you have any favorite classes and activities?

My favorite class was AP Brit Lit. We were the first AP class, and we were all good friends. It truly was a bunch of nerds (none of us were cool), so we enjoyed being nerdy together. We all share a trauma bond over having to read Tess of the D'Ubervilles. My favorite activities were Passion and the senior cruise. 

What are you most excited about as a teacher now at LCA?

I am most excited about the fact that I get to teach literature to young minds. I know that sounds really cheesy, but literature introduces us to the larger world, perspectives that are not our own, and forces us to think. Literature and reading are such important parts of learning to think critically and determine truth from lie. The opportunity and privilege to begin to teach that to students is one I do not take lightly. Being able to do so at LCA is wonderful because I am able to ground it all in the Word.

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Mallory Helms

LCA Class of 2014
4th & 5th English Teacher

When you were in high school, what did you envision yourself doing after graduation?

I knew that, whatever I did, I wanted to work with children, so teaching was an easy career path to do so. During my junior year, I took an Early Childhood Education elective. This class allowed me to go into an elementary school classroom each day for an hour to assist the teacher. I was placed in a first grade classroom with Summer Long. Although she does not work here anymore, she and her students were the people who inspired me to become a teacher. I loved walking into the classroom every day and being able to make an impact.

What major did you pursue, where, and why?

I received a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Georgia College and State University (GSCU). I wanted to become a teacher so that I could not only educate the future generation but also be a positive role model. Although it is only my first year of teaching, I have quickly learned that I can learn just as much from my students as they learn from me.

How did LCA prepare you for your college experience?

LCA’s major goal is to prepare students academically, spiritually, and socially for God’s call on their lives. This is exactly how I felt throughout my college experience. I felt especially prepared when writing papers and collaborating with group members. LCA provided opportunities for me to discover who I was and grow in my faith. This allowed me to avoid peer pressure and make wise decisions, even when no one around me was. 

How did specific teachers impact you? Did you have any favorite classes and activities?

This is a hard question because I feel as though my favorite thing about going to LCA was the teachers. However, I was especially impacted by Mrs. Snell, Mr. Martin, and Mrs. Smith. These teachers, along with others, not only cared about me inside of the classroom but outside of the classroom as well. During my junior year of high school, I lost my dad to cancer. He went through a short but tough battle. During that time, many of my teachers specifically went out of their way to check on me, encourage me, and pray for me. They also supported my family members during this time as well.

During my time at LCA, I played volleyball from 7th–12th grade. I instantly fell in love with the sport, and I even played some intramurals in college. A few weeks after being hired at LCA, Coach King called me and asked me if I wanted to be the JV volleyball coach. I accepted his offer, and over the past few months, I have been able to help some amazing girls improve their skills.

What are you most excited about as a teacher now at LCA?

Being a first year teacher, I was extremely nervous leading up to the first day. However, it has been so nice being surrounded by familiar faces and knowing where most of the classrooms are. I am so thrilled that I am able to work at a place where I can openly pray for my students, and we are encouraged to integrate biblical concepts into our lessons.