Why my teacher matters…

Darnell Woods is one of the coolest teachers I’ve ever met. He teaches American Sign Language and his classroom is a joy to learn in. Even though personally I struggle in ASL, the atmosphere he brings makes you feel comfortable to make mistakes while taking on a new language. The memory I'll cherish most is when we were learning about double letter signs sentence practice in ASL 1. One of the words...

I remember getting off the bus to Kingwood Park High School in 8th grade. Since Kingwood Middle School was under construction, the middle schoolers had to work out at the high school. As I walked over to the pole vault pit with a big smile on my face, I saw coach Kim Ackerman turn around and see me. “Little Bush!” Ackerman screamed as she squeezed me into a tight hug. The memory still warms my ...

As exhausted as swimming makes me, the coaches always make it worthwhile – especially coach Greg McLain.  Of course getting up at 5:30 a.m. to swim everyday takes its toll on my body. I love seeing how both coach John Dissinger and coach McLain interact with each other. It’s just like watching an old married couple. Every time I look up at them from the pool, they are always talking about a ...

Walking into 5th period my sophomore year I had two things on my mind, food and sleep. Very rarely was I in the mood to learn grammar or write an essay, but my English teacher Kimberly Villegas always tried to make it as fun as she could.  Villegas has been an upperclassman English teacher for the majority of her teaching career, and has made it clear that’s what she prefers, so having her as my A...

As crazy as it seems to be a runner, Coach Cook is the reason I started to enjoy running, learned how to push my limits and love to exert my energy. Of course waking up at 5 a.m. to run every morning is mentally and physically hard, but I love how Coach Cook can make practice enjoyable. He is able to get us in a growth mindset, so we can improve and get better. He has a quirky personality, spinnin...

To be a teacher and a coach takes hard work to balance out assignments for your students and create tactical plans for your team. English teacher B.J. Brittain or Coach Brittain manages the time to do so with his persistent schedule. Coach Brittain encourages me and others to work hard not just on the field but in the classroom as well. Coach Brittain even cares for all the students in his soccer...

This year will be Coach Conner Gregerson's third year of teaching. When Coach first started here, he was a history teacher and aspired to be a football coach. Now he is the freshmen defensive coordinator, a US History and World Geography teacher. Gregerson started at Trinity University to play football. After a year he transferred to Louisiana State University and got his bachelors degree for Art History. This year I had Coach for first period World G...

It was one of the last days of my freshman year and I knew I was meeting my new coach. Two years later, I didn't know how much of an impact Coach McEachern would have on me as a student and an athlete. She was a new teacher and coach to the school my sophomore year, and was definitely someone I had to get to know, since I was going to have her for the rest of my high school career.  Mac’s lov...

 Jeff Wilson, the auto collision teacher, was always a tough man from the first day I attended to his class. I could tell that he knew what he was talking about. He gave off this energy that he had years of experience in the material that he was teaching us. And throughout my first year with him, I knew I was going to learn a lot of life skills from his course. When I was working in the workshop, he alway...

When I first walked into the journalism classroom my freshman year, I was beyond nervous and doubted if I really belonged in the class. But Mrs. Ortiz reassured me and told me that I’ll do just fine on the staff.  Megan Ortiz is the journalism teacher and one of the many people who helps behind the scenes of both the yearbook and the newspaper. Mrs. Ortiz is a hardworking teacher who puts her al...

Walking into Cassandra Debottis’ bright, colorful classroom for fifth period is the highlight of my day. I’m greeted with a smile and I’m automatically in a better mood. On the first day of school, I walked into her patho-physiology classroom and looked around thinking about how this couldn’t be a science classroom. There’s a couch next to her desk and LED lights all around the room....

Freshman year at KPark was overwhelming. All the new classes, schedules, and now adding stairs? But slowly the schedule became manageable and fluid. Part of that relaxation is credited to my first period English class, with Mrs. Neel. Her secluded and comfortable classroom was a nice place to start my school day. Now in my sophomore year, I have her again for English 2. That same scene of comfort and a...

There is only one teacher who seems to walk around the school halls more than the students themselves, and that is Sergeant David Bell, one of the AFJROTC instructors at Kingwood Park. Seeming to always be on the search for a working coffee machine or out to complete some kind of task, he never fails to make a few detours in an attempt to make someone’s day by saying a “Hello!” and asking a sim...

There was a time that I dreaded the end of my third period class. As I considered what could happen in the next class period, my teeth would often begin to chatter and I could feel the cold sweat seeping from every pore. When the bell rang for passing period, my feet would drag me unwilling to my destination, as if in the midst of a nightmare. As I took my seat, very intentionally chosen in the bac...

When I started high school I was automatically put into the 7th period golf class, which is the advanced class. I had no idea why but right off the bat I was playing in a varsity 36-hole tournament when I was scoring in the 120s. Coach Angela Chancellor told me to never give up, she told me never to give up and that she would help whenever she could. I knew that if I needed anything I could go to h...

I finish 4th period Chemistry and make my way to my 5th period Art Draw 2. I sit down and let the chaos ensue. I talk and babble on about random things to my friends, drawing to my heart’s content, while Mr. Alvarez plays another random genre of music - from pop to funk to alternative to metal to rock - along with other genres that I have never heard. Each day, promises something new and excitin...

Toward the end of my sophomore year, my ex band director Robbie Sitka announced that he would be leaving the band. One of the biggest questions that soared through my head was, “Who is next?” Little did I know that the next director was going to completely change the direction of the band in the best way possible. I first met the new director Bre Osbourn during the summer before my junior ye...

When you think of a football coach, wrestling coach, and US History teacher, personal therapist or advice giver does not exactly fit into the job description but that is exactly what Eric Coovert does. He is always there to advise anyone who comes to him. He helps them through the challenges of life. I first met Coovert when I started showing up to wrestling practice. In the beginning he terrif...

You’re rubbing the sleep out of your eyes as you walk through the fluorescent hallways at 7 in the morning. You’re startled by a deep, booming voice scolding you; your hand instinctively goes to your chest looking for something. It’s okay, don’t panic. It’s not the Terminator. No, the shiny bald head is not that of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It is just assistant principal Mack Malone ...

World History teacher Jennifer Danielson always has a new story to share. From historic discoveries to skydiving, concerts, random injuries or any other adventure Mrs. Danielson went on in between school days, AP World history class never starts with a dull moment. The energy continues into class with her clear love of history and the creative assignments she assigns.  Every day she gives different types of assig...

I could never imagine myself loving English until the first day of school. I remember walking to second period, nervous about what could await me. I entered a cozy classroom and breathed in a fall-scented candle. I knew right then that this would be one of my favorite classes.  Marissa Manfred has taught in Humble ISD for 25 years, but it’s her first year at Kingwood Pak. However, she has not...

At my first performance as a Silver Star, I heard this loud cheering from the stands. I began to look around and wonder where these cheers were coming from. It was Ms. Vaughn. One thing about Ms. Vaughn is her overwhelming love and compassion for her team. She stands at the 50 yard line screaming, clapping and cheering for all of the hard work her team has put into the routine. You can hear her over ...

Assistant principal Michelle Wilson has become an administrator I look forward to encountering, especially in the mornings when walking into school. She gives us a big smile, a welcoming greeting, and sends us off hoping we have a good day. As a hostess at my job, we are taught that first impressions are everything to the guests walking through the door. Mrs. Wilson’s never fails to pass on her good...

When I first began bringing my meals to lunch during the start of my sophomore year, I assumed it wasn't possible to get a hold of a microwave. For the most part, I had consumed my meals relatively cold, leaving me relatively unsatisfied. Then, the lunch ladies informed me of a microwave I could use. It was in a house office with a secretary named Karen Perez. That's when I first met Secretary Karen Pere...

My alarm was set for 5 a.m., to catch the school bus by 6 a.m. to drive me to a school I had no intention of going to. As I walked through the doors of Kingwood Park my freshman year, I thought to myself “this is not where I belong, I won’t fit in.” I made my way up the stairs and got lost twice before I found the right class. My schedule read: Room 2208, on level biology. I hesitated but w...

Never have I felt so loved in a classroom. Tonya Smith, who teaches animation, graphic design and esports, dutifully looks after each of her students, asking about personal lives and current projects. She accommodates students who fall behind in the classroom and remembers almost every detail you tell her. With such a variety of classes she teaches, you’d think she’d be more easily frazzled. Instea...

Despite only his second year at Kingwood Park, the atmosphere Jacob Butcher creates in his classroom makes you feel like he’s been here for much longer.  Graduating from Sam Houston State University in 2020, Mr. Butcher started teaching here in 2021. It’s impressive how well spoken, collected, and organized he is for someone who has only been teaching for a couple of years. The manner in which ...

Monday morning, his class is one of the things I look forward to. Coach Christian Boehm teaches my on level history class, and I was honestly expecting a really boring, chill class at the beginning of the year. Now, it is one of the most unpredictable and engaging classes ever because of him. From roasting people on the spot to talking about controversial topics to doing freestyle rap, Boehm ha...

Before I started ninth grade I was very nervous about walking into the big high school, but after making the Silver Stars drill team I wasn't nervous at all. I didn’t know Megan Cox until I got introduced to her at installation, and I couldn't have been more excited knowing she was going to be the new assistant director. Mrs. Cox is one of the hardest working people I know. She coaches JV and he...

When I first walked into my AP English classroom this year I thought I was in the wrong class. There were camping chairs, yoga balls, tall and short tables and the room just looked like chaos at first glance. But as the year went on I grew to love the  chaos of the room. I wouldn’t call it chaos anymore, it is more an organized chaos -- which is why I love it. The different seating options make ...

There are many great things about history and AVID teacher Sydney Caldwell, but one of them is her outfits. From flowy skirts to heeled boots, I need it all. Of course, that’s not the only thing about Ms. Caldwell that I admire.  She’s probably one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. It feels like she's done everything life has to offer. She helped build a rocket, served overse...

After a long day at school, being welcomed into Algebra II teacher Laura Agee’s class with a warm smile always picks me up. Agee has one of the warmest smiles I've ever seen and she uses it to light up her entire classroom. If you had to describe her in just one word, it would be encouraging. Upon walking into her class, dozens of posters can be spotted with words of encouragement. From her own ac...

A year later, the teacher who has made the biggest impact on me has stayed the same.  Everything else that has happened was something I never could have imagined. Going into my junior year, I was constantly talking with girls basketball coach Andrew Cross about what he expected from me this year as a key part of the team and how I could do more. He always told me to keep working hard and that I...