Presbyterian College alumna named District 56 Teacher of the Year

Presbyterian College alumna named District 56 Teacher of the Year

Keighley Aldridge, a 2014 elementary education graduate of Presbyterian College was named the Laurens County School District 56 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year. Aldridge currently teaches third grade English-Language Arts at Joanna-Woodson Elementary School.

“I have difficulty describing what Joanna-Woodson Elementary and Laurens 56 School District mean to me,” Aldridge said. “I was honored and humbled to have been chosen as the Laurens County School District 56 Teacher of the Year.”

Aldridge was an active student during her time at PC. She directed the “Up ’Til Dawn” fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and raised more than $60,000. She also interned for the office of special events and helped direct the PC Phone-A-Thon to raise money for student scholarships.

“While I live, I serve,” Aldridge said. “My experience at PC shaped my entire teaching style. Throughout my four years at PC, I was able to learn what it means to serve others and be part of a cause that is bigger than me. Essentially, PC taught me that teaching is about relationships.”

She explained that the personal attention and guidance she was given at PC helped her become more successful in her interactions with her students. Being a student at PC gave her the confidence, skills, and strategies she needed to become a successful educator.

During her time at Joanna-Woodson, Aldridge has used the skills and traits she learned at PC to become an advocate for her students. She believes that every child who walks into her classroom is there for a different purpose, and that her job is to help each one determine what his or her purpose in life will be.

“Each child needs someone to believe in her and to care about her as an individual, like we are cared for at PC,” Aldridge said. “Joanna-Woodson serves the whole child so when they come to school, they feel safe, encouraged, and challenged to become the best they can be. At Joanna, we are a family. At PC, we are a family.”

 


 

Presbyterian College is located on a striking 240-acre campus in Clinton, between Columbia and Greenville, S.C. Offering challenging academics and a culture of honor, ethics, and service that prepares students to be leaders in communities, PC offers its students the benefit of engaging with an exceptional faculty who take individual interest in their students’ well-being, both personally and in the classroom. The Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy opened in 2010, and is dedicated to the ideals of leadership, honor to the profession, and service to the community. For more information about Presbyterian College, visit www.presby.edu.