My Story

Meet Mrs. Dodson
If you had told me 23 years ago that Stone Academy would become my second home, I would have believed you in a heartbeat. From the very beginning, I knew this was a special place—a school where creativity hums in the hallways and curiosity is always welcome.

Today, I serve as the Arts Magnet Coordinator and Literacy Specialist, a role that lets me do two of my favorite things: dream big about how the arts can shape learning, and help students fall in love with reading and writing. My happiest moments are often the simplest ones—sitting with a group of students as they discover the power of their own words, or stepping into a classroom to co-create a lesson that blends art and story in ways none of us saw coming.

I’ve worn a few hats here: RTI teacher, 1st grade teacher, 4th grade teacher. Each one taught me something different about how kids learn and how teachers grow. In 2013–2014, my colleagues named me Teacher of the Year, which was humbling mostly because the people I work with are some of the most inspiring educators I know.

Life outside of Stone:
At home, life is lively. My husband, Nathan, is the kind of person who can make even grocery shopping feel like an adventure. He’s passionate about antiques and collectibles, and when he comes to help out at school, students seem to light up around him as much as he lights up around them.

Our boys, Thomas and Marshall, are both Stone and League graduates now making their mark at Wade Hampton High School. Thomas, an 11th grader, splits his time between the golf course, student council meetings, his job at DAL’s, and his busy social life. Marshall, in 10th grade, lives and breathes soccer—playing for Furman Elite and the high school team. He also has a busy social life, and it is hard to keep up! Both of them humor me by playing pickleball, though I suspect they secretly love it as much as I do. 

And then there’s Patches, our Sheepadoodle. She’s six years old, endlessly sweet, and—fun fact—the sister of Mrs. Clark’s dog, Jersey! 

We live, work, and play in the North Main neighborhood!  

Through the Years:
Over the years, I’ve trained through various programs, including The Arts-Based Curriculum Network, the Teacher as Curator Project, The Peace Center, the Metropolitan Arts Council (SmartArts), the Upstate Writing Project, and the Orton-Gillingham approach, each one adding new tools to my toolbox. But no training compares to what this community teaches me daily: that curiosity, creativity, and connection matter most.

Stone Academy isn’t just where I work—it’s where I grow alongside the students and teachers I’m lucky enough to serve. I can’t wait to see what stories we’ll create together this year.