By: Abigail Gindlesberger
For the past 25 years, Courtney Atwood has been attending Flora High School.
Atwood graduated Flora High School in 1998 with her diploma and many memories to carry with her.
A true American teenager, Atwood participated in many activities while in high school, including volleyball her freshman and sophomore years, Student Council, Pep Club, Business Club, Spanish Club, and FCCLA.
Her FCCLA classes inspired her to earn a degree in Family and Consumer Science.
When asked what her favorite class was in school, Atwood replied, “Anything with Mrs. Bible! Loved her! Still do!”
Though Atwood was heavily involved in school activities, she also displayed a strong work ethic while working “as a bank teller through the Co-op program both my junior and senior years,” that is still evident in her current career.
For most seniors involved in this many activities, there is always one significant high school moment that sticks out to them, but not for Atwood; her high school career in its entirety holds many fond memories for her.
When you make a career out of high school, you’ll most likely be working with former classmates, or even former teachers; this is the case for Atwood.
Surprisingly, Atwood attended Flora High School with only three other current co-workers: Tracy Atwood, Hayley Kohn, and Lucy Eckleberry. Also, Atwood was a student while some co-workers were her teachers, such as Jan Bible, Shari Hamilton, Lisa Hemrich, Susan Fleener, John Upton, Doug Slagley, and Harry Penry, who was the principal of FHS.
Working with former teachers could be weird for most people, but for others, it could be a great opportunity to see things from their point of view; Atwood explains, “I would say having your eyes opened to what teachers deal with on a daily basis (is weird). I really hope I was well behaved and respectful to my teachers!”
While the transition from student to teacher wasn’t an issue for Atwood, the minor changes to Flora High seem extensive when looking at them as a whole, such as internet, security, parking, or even the lunch tables.
“I learned to type on old school typewriters in Mr. Ridge’s current classroom location,” Atwood admits.
In addition to changes made to the school, there have been modifications to academics as well: “Dual credit classes were not available when I was in school. We were on the 8 block schedule and it had its perks for classes like Foods and P.E. We were able to do a lot of off-campus activities in P.E. such as bowling, skating, tennis, swimming, bike riding, etc.”
If you were to ask any high school graduates if they are living the life they expected in high school, most would probably say no, but not Atwood; her marriage, family, and teaching career, are what she considers some of her greatest accomplishments.
With her success in achieving her dreams, Atwood has words of advice for her younger self and her current students: “…be yourself and to follow your own arrow. Work hard and if there is a will, there is a way.”