Katie Black, a graduate of the Anderson University College of Education who teaches at Whitehall Elementary, was named Teacher of the Year for Anderson School District Five.
“I was just honored that I was chosen out of so many amazing teachers because I truly wouldn’t be where I am today without all of the mentors, and especially at Whitehall—I’ve been there my whole teaching career of five years, and so I know the teachers that have poured into me and that I would not be where I am today without them,” she said. “I was just thinking, ‘I’m so undeserving of this,’ but the Lord has put me in this place for a reason and so I’m very grateful and very thankful for the opportunity.”
Black says she grew up around education. Both of her parents work for Greenville County School District. Her father is a plant engineer at Sevier Middle School and her mother is a kindergarten assistant. She also has an aunt who recently retired after teaching and serving as an assistant principal.
Even so, she wasn’t really considering education as a career—she intended to go in a different direction.
“It was actually my summer before I went to college,” Black recalls, “I interned at my church with the children’s minister and I just felt all that summer that the Lord was calling me in to work with kids. I just found so much joy and so much peace from working with the kids all that summer, and that’s when I felt the Lord tugging at my heart.”
Black entered Anderson University, where she decided to major in education.
“I started the program at Anderson and as soon as I got to into the groove of things… I just knew that that was where I was supposed to be and I knew that was where the Lord was going to use me the most,” she said.
The Anderson University College of Education
The Anderson University College of Education focuses on the intellectual development of the student while being attentive to the ideals of character, servant leadership and cultural engagement. Programs are offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels, onsite or online. Details can be found here.