Class Year: 2008
Major at MC: English with Teacher Licensure
Senior Thesis Topic: A Study of Hamlet: Teaching Shakespeare’s Classic in Four Settings
Current Town/City of Residence: Louisville, Tennessee
Occupation: English Teacher
Volunteer: Blount County Alumni Association Board President 2014-15
Family: Husband, Chris Hollander ’09, sister Elizabeth Bradford ’05 and brother in law Nick Bradford ’06
I was hired at Maryville High School as an English teacher the spring of my senior year. I am still there and loving it. I began my Master’s Degree at the University of Tennessee summer 2009 and completed it summer 2011. I am currently working on my Educational Specialist Degree from LMU.
I have also coached high school soccer since I was hired at Maryville. I assisted the girls’ team for 6 years, and I have assisted the boys’ team and boys’ JV coach for 3 years.
A typical day in the “office” for me is a classroom full of teenagers, a hefty stack of papers to grade, and an ever-changing schedule waiting each morning. Through some enthusiasm and a lot of time and energy, I usually manage to teach those teens, grade some of those papers, and adjust to whatever else happens within the school that day. Come visit and really see!
Watching students who have been told by people or experiences their entire life that they are not smart enough or not good enough prove to themselves that they are capable and filled with potential. There are no words to capture what teaching does to a teacher.
I read, run, spend time with my perfect nieces, watch too much Netflix, drink too much coffee, and I love curling up by a fire when it’s cold.
The entire idea of vocation was woven into my classes and other experiences. My professors, coaches, and experiences all applied to my interests and personal growth. I learned how to teach from one of the greatest people on the planet – Dr. Terry Simpson – and I learned how to coach from one of the most talented and enthusiastic people – Pepe Fernandez. There were so many others along the way that impacted my development, but MC as a whole gave me opportunity.
Start a family
See a World Cup match in the US
Meet J.K. Rowling
…still feels like home, but a new kind of home as an alum. The college is like a mixture between tangible and intangible elements that I will always love and come home to.
