Willis Willing to make a change

Mr. Moore: Foreign Language Powerhouse

English’s Favorite: Mr. Lentz!

Loveless: Just the Opposite

From Missouri to Fountain Inn: A Teacher Finds His Calling

Logan Tepe is one of the newest additions to the Fountain Inn High School staff. Tepe teaches freshman success, accounting, and computer essentials. Before moving here and becoming one of our own, Tepe lived in Missouri and taught at two other schools.
Tepe explains his first day of teaching as “Chaos. Just Chaos.” He further explains, “You always have an expectation of how something is gonna go and it just goes the complete opposite.” 

Tepe attended Missouri State University. After college, sometime in his mid-20’s, he decided to pursue teaching.

“I wasn’t really happy with my current career. My wife actually inspired me to start teaching.” Tepe explained. 

Tepe chose to work with high school students because he "had a great time as a high school student. I was inspired by my teachers and wanted to be  that for the next generation.” 

Tepe creates a very calm and cool atmosphere in his classroom. Tepe is extremely patient and kind and serves as a role model to all his students. Freshman, Jaycie Dulin says, "Mr. Tepe’s classroom is both engaging and exciting. There is definitely never a dull moment.” I further asked Dulin, “What about Mr. Tepe do you find admirable?” to which she replied, “I think he is very patient with us.” 

As one of Tepe’s students myself, I like his humorous and light-hearted personality. 

When it comes to teaching, it is always nice to be able to connect with your students. Tepe says, “I try to build casual relationships with my students. I also attempt to make my classroom a friendly environment so they feel comfortable sharing more about themselves.”

 Fountain Inn High School is beyond grateful for Tepe.

Tepe Logan

 Moore Than Just a Teacher

Dr. Felise: The Chemist Turning Classrooms into Laboratories of Discovery

INN the Stacks

A Man of Many Jobs

By Jackson Semethy

Around Fountain Inn High School, there are hundreds of teachers and staff. While most of these people have straightforward jobs, some do not. Even fewer of these staff have multiple different responsibilities around the school Stephen Redmond is one of these people.

Redmond is a student academic support aid but has another job too. He is the head of the track and field team. He also is in charge of all the ID’s for students. These things combined all makeup Redmond’s job around FIHS.

His daily schedule is pretty diverse as in the mornings he starts in the ID room where he gives students IDs if they are missing theirs. Then he briefly walks the halls and talks with some of the students. After that he has some deeper conversations with the students who need it. He also has lunch duty and sometimes after school, he works with his track team.

The job may seem like it's never the same but Redmond somewhat says otherwise. Redmond says,” The afternoons and mornings are very similar each day.” He says this because in the mornings he always works with id’s which isn’t very interesting.

While his day is different from other staff, his hours are pretty similar. His usual work day spans from 8:00 A.M. to 3:45 P.M. On track conditioning days he stays at school until around 5:15 P.M. and the track season varies.

Although working at FIHS takes up most of his day, that's not the only job he works. Redmond says,” I am a musician, producer and event organizer.” This surprised me as working as a musician is usually a really big thing to do and working other jobs would be very hard but somehow Redmond pulls it off.

When I asked him what he likes about his job he said,” I like helping students see what's important in the world. Getting students to understand that life is bigger than your past hurts and disappointments. Pushing through is getting past right now and moving towards the goals that are set in your future.” This inspiring quote is why Redmond loves his job and why students love him too.

Some of his personal hobbies include music, cooking and history. When he has time to himself he might inquire about history or make music. He also has family in the area with almost all of them living in either Fountain Inn or Laurens County. 

Even though he says he loves his job, he did mention one thing he doesn't like. Redmond said that he doesn’t like working as a substitute teacher. He also mentioned that even though he has a lot of work to do he doesn’t find the job stressful. At first it was somewhat stressful because of how passionate he was for all the students but after a while that stress went away.

Redmond has been an academic support aide for 26 years! Even though he has been in the job for a very long time, he still says he would go into the media if he could. He says he would want to go into radio media if he could.

Even with a bit of an abstract job, he still works with other staff. He says he works with some of the staff frequently and some not so much. He said it’s not every day he is with other people and some days he has to work alone with students. His job doesn't seem to have many connections with other teachers.

He has also learned a few skills while working for all those years. Redmond says,” I have learned patience and how to not rush people to become the better person that they will eventually become.” This is a very important skill to have especially as a support aide in a school environment especially when you want the best for your students.

Redmond says he would recommend this job to others. He says he would recommend the job to people who like to see others succeed. He also mentioned that it can be a bit disappointing at times. This is because the students that you want to succeed and you see a lot of potential sometimes go the wrong way and you have to see them fail. Other than that he says it can be a very fulfilling job.

He also seems to be loved around the school for all the work he has done for the students. The many people I have talked to about him have all said that he is an amazing person and they had nothing negative to say about him or his work.

Champion of Education

Mr. Irvin's Inspiring Odyssey in Shaping Tomorrow's Leaders at Fountain Inn High School

Horton Hears a High Schooler

By Camden Mason

David Horton is a man of many talents. From being in the United States Navy to working in public education and coaching baseball, Horton can do it all. 

Horton hasn’t been in education his whole life. “This is my 17th year, I believe. I've retired from law enforcement and went straight into working with schools, third districts, all of it hasn’t been here.” From going to law enforcement to education is a big switch up, so it is truly remarkable about Horton.

Horton loves spending time with his family. “I like to spend time with my wife and my children, and my grandchildren…coming up on 36 years.” 36 years is a very long time so it’s obvious that Horton loves his wife and his entire family.

“Challenging but Fun.” Horton said it's Challenging and Fun to work with high schoolers on a day to day basis. I think this summarizes it perfectly on how it can be to work with high schoolers. There are all sorts of types of different people that you can run into or interact with when working at a high school

Horton was asked which celebrity dead or alive would you like to meet. “Reba Mcentire, No doubt.” Reba Mcentire is an American Country Music Singer and Actress. She is very well known in the south and seems like such a nice person. Anyone in the south would love to meet Reba Mcentire.

As a Baseball coach it was obvious when Horton was asked his favorite sport it was baseball and when asked his favorite team he said the “Atlanta Braves.” This makes the most sense because the Atlanta Braves are the most localized baseball since there are no MLB teams in the state of South Carolina. The Atlanta Braves also had a minor league affiliation with Greenville.

What was your favorite subject in school? “Recess.” This is everyone’s favorite subject, everyone looked forward to recess. It was the best part of the day as an elementary school student. Recess is the only right answer and is the best subject of all time.

“Locally Coach House.” Coach House has been open since 1991, so it has been up for nearly 30 years. Coach House is only located in South Carolina so it truly is special for the people of South Carolina. This is Horton’s favorite place to eat at.

11th Grader, Grayson Watson said, “Coach Horton has not only helped me with baseball but he has also helped me in the school building. By the way he guides me away from doing bad things and making bad choices.” This shows how Horton not only cares about his players on the field but also off the field. Horton not only is a good coach he is also a good person that cares a lot about his players.

Watson also said, “One of his strengths is being able to know what he is teaching you about and then (if you’re listening) you can mirror exactly what he was trying to get you to do. He has a really good way of explaining things and helping you understand.” Horton makes sure all of his players understand what he is talking about. He is good at explaining things and making sure everyone knows what he is talking about.

11th Grader, Nick Saddler said, “He is the coolest to be around because he knows so much about sports and he has met a lot of cool people in life.” Not only is Horton a good coach but he is fun to be around and talk to because he knows a lot about people and sports.

11th Grader, Beau Barbre said, “Coach Horton is such a loving human being. He takes care of us as if we are his own kids. He works with us on the skills that we need to become better players and also helps us to become better people. If I were to rate him on a scale, he would be a 20/10!!” This sums up everyone’s answer about Coach Horton. He is caring, loving and always helps others.

In Conclusion, Horton is an absolutely incredible human being. Horton was in the Navy, Went into education and then became a Baseball Coach. It truly proves that Horton can do it all.

Kudos to Koutsos

Caring, dedicated, and understanding are a few of the many positive words used to describe Sabrina Koutsos. Well known by many of her students as Coach K, Koutsos is the Physical Education (PE) teacher and Assistant Athletic Director at Fountain Inn High School (FIHS). She has been teaching at FIHS for three years. Koutsos is a great teacher and makes being active interesting and fun for all students.

Born in Greenville and raised in Anderson, Koutsos is now located in the Upstate area. She attended USC-Upstate where she got her bachelor's degree in PE. She also got her masters degree in administration at Southern Wesleyan University.

After graduating, Koutsos says she had no other job in mind. She went to college with one thing in mind and that was to be a PE teacher. “I have always wanted to be a teacher since middle school. I originally wanted to be a Math teacher, but decided the month before going into college to pursue the career of a PE teacher.” 

Koutsos personally has her own different style of teaching. She likes to connect with her students and make sure they benefit from her lessons. “I would describe my teaching style as one that creates a safe place for my students to try new things and feel comfortable. I try to have a transformational leadership style of teaching that it is my hope my students are able to come out of every lesson with something valuable to be better people physically, mentally, and socially.” 

According to Koutsos, teaching PE comes with some pros and cons. Teaching PE may seem easy but it has its own ups and downs. “Some pros are that I get to wear comfy clothes. 99% of people respond with "oh you teach the fun subject." I get paid the same pay as any other teacher who has the same amount of years of experience/degree. Some cons are that I have had other teachers/personnel look down on me as a teacher because it is "PE". 

Koutsos also has the position of being the Assistant Athletic Director (AAD) at FIHS. There are different responsibilities that come with being the AAD. “Being an assistant athletic director means that I am helping the athletic director in a variety of ways such as game management, and athletic eligibility. Sometimes I step in as athletic director (AD) when the AD is off-campus.” 

One of Koutsos’ favorite things about being the AAD at FIHS, according to her, is getting to see students play. “What I enjoy most about being an AAD is getting to watch my students thrive in their sport/activity. At these events, I also get to meet parents/siblings which helps build relationships with my students in the classroom. I also enjoy working with Robby Bell- the AD. He works really hard to make FIHS Athletics an enjoyable experience for everyone.”

  After a full school day of working with kids all day, Koutsos goes home to her own; Wyatt and Sedona. Balancing her at home and school life can be sometimes challenging. She says she has to check herself out from work on weekends because it helps her be able to spend more time with her family that she doesn’t have during the school week.

  “It is important to remember that you are replaceable at work. No matter how much you think your skills and experience make you irreplaceable. You're not replaceable at home. Home is your real life.” This is a quote that Koutsos says really resonated with her because it reminds her to spend time with her family. She says it allows her to check out long enough to relax and rejuvenate to come back as a better person and teacher. 

Koutsos typical day after school isn’t always the same. Some days she can go home at 4:30 and her day involves taking care of her kids, playing with them, and feeding them before it's time for them to go to bed. On days where she has game duty she’s at school until 9 and that involves having to greet visitors and making sure they’re following the school/district rules. 

Outside of school Koutsos has a few of her own hobbies she likes to do. “In the Spring, I love to plant flowers and spend time with my family outdoors. In the summertime, you'll find me on the lake or by the pool. Fall, I love football, hiking, and visiting the mountains. Winter, I only look forward to one snow and then want the cold weather to go away.” Koutsos has plenty of different hobbies outside of school for every season. 

Koutsos also loves to travel and her favorite place she’s been is Arizona. She says “the hiking and landscape of this state were beautiful”. Her and her husband enjoyed it so much that she named her daughter Sedona after it. She also loves helping other people and she stated if she had another job in the future, it would be in that field. 

All of Koutsos' peers can agree that she is more than just a PE teacher at FIHS. She's very loving, sweet, empathetic, funny, and so much more. She is a great teacher and connects well with all her peers and students. 

The Rhodes Less Traveled

On the Job With Mr. Cobb

By Bri Strickland

Meet the hard-working, creative, Machine Tool Technology teacher, Mr. Cobb, at Fountain Inn High School. Andy Cobb has had a lot of experience with Machining and has taken that experience and used it to impact his students.

“I’ve been a Machinist for 10 years and I got into it when I realized that I no longer wanted to be in retail management. I wasn’t sure what career/job I wanted to do, but I was encouraged by a mentor of mine to try machining. I’m creative, I enjoy solving problems logically, and I’m something of a perfectionist when it comes to my work; all of which are important in Machining. 

“The reason I picked Machine Tool Technology to teach is because it’s what I know. A person can’t, and shouldn’t, try to teach a subject they don’t really know. I know machining, and I wanted to share that knowledge with students like yourself.”

Cobb has had a lot of experience with Machine Tool and took schooling and knows what it is and how it works. He states that he had an opportunity to take Machine Tool Technology at the career center when he was in highschool, but he wanted to do something different with his life. 

It was only when he spent 9 years doing something else that he realized he needed to do something else for a career. He eventually enrolled in the two-year Machine Tool Technology program at Spartanburg Community College and earned an Associate’s Degree in machining. But no one has to have a degree to be a machinist. Many companies are hiring young machinists right out of high school these days making $18-$24/hr.

“What made you want to become a teacher at FIHS? Do you like working at FIHS?” Andy Cobb- “Let me answer the second question first: Yes. The school is pretty awesome and I wish my high school had been like this one. Now as for the first question: in truth, I wanted to try my hand at teaching and FIHS had my position available. Seemed like a win-win to me.”

He decided to work at FIHS because they had a spot open for him in Machine Tool. He realized that this was a great school since it was newer and it was just a good school in general. He decided that he wanted to be a teacher after he got done with college. 

“How has Machine Tool impacted you?” “Machining has helped provide a good career for myself and my family. Machinist’s can make good money and this has certainly been true for me. In addition, machining has helped me become more logical in my thinking. You have to think ‘big to small’ to manufacture a part correctly while also knowing what tools to use, how fast to run them, and the intricacies of the machine you’re running.”

Machine Tool isn’t just something he likes, but it also brings in a good amount of money for him and his family. Machine hasn’t only brought him a good amount of money, but it’s also made him smarter in his thinking.

“What’s your favorite part of teaching Machine Tool Tech?” Andy Cobb states, “The students. Specifically, watching the students that enjoy this trade make things that they can use in the future is always rewarding.”

Cobb loves seeing his students enjoy his class and make things that they can use in their future. He doesn’t just work for money, he also works for his students everyday. 

Mr. Sheffield states that he thinks Cobb's favorite part of teaching is “Seeing his students be able to produce industry quality parts.”

Cobb loves seeing his students learn and grow. He enjoys seeing them achieve their goals and be the best they can be, no matter how much it takes.

Sheffield states that a few words he would use to describe Cobb would be “Eager to learn. Cobb knows machining, but he is learning about teaching high school and interacting with students.”

Not only is Cobb eager to learn more about teaching and Machine Tool, but he is also eager to learn more about his students and interacting with them. He wants to form relationships and strong bonds with them.

Cobb tries to form bonds with his students so that he can be an influence to every single one of them. He impacts his students on a day to day basis by teaching them Machine Tool, what it is, and just how important it can be. 

“How does Cobb impact his students?” Sheffield states, “He is teaching them the technique to be marketable after high school. Right now, he’s shared with them how to machine manually. When the CNC machines are ready to use, he will share with them the tools to become the most marketable and sought after FIHS graduate.”

Cobb isn’t teaching just to teach, but he is also teaching to help some students learn how to machine manually for the future. Cobb doesn’t only impact students, but he also impacts teachers around FIHS.

Sheffield states, “Anytime I work with new teachers, it rejuvenates me and reminds me of the challenges new teachers overcome to do their job. Many adults think they know how to be a teacher because they were students when they were younger, but actually standing in front of a class is tougher than most people think.”

“In what ways have you impacted your students?” Cobb states, “I get to teach my students everyday that have never even heard of machining. Some of these students love this field and have already told me that this is the career they want to go into.”

Even students who didn’t even know what machining was at first, love his class. Not only because he’s an amazing teacher, but also because of his teaching techniques and because they’re learning new things that they would’ve never learned without taking this class.

Cobb states that one thing he learned from becoming a teacher is “Teachers work hard. Much harder than people realize or understand. They do this not for a paycheck but because they love teaching and they love their students.”

Being a teacher takes a lot. Most people don’t realize that. To be a teacher, you have to have a lot of patience and you have to have a good understanding of how your students learn/feel in your classroom. 

“I have a new-found respect for teachers personally. What I mean by that is that I’ve always respected teachers, but after becoming one, that respect has grown tremendously.”

Becoming a teacher shows you what it’s really like and how hard it can be but also how impactful it can be. Every teacher learns something new from being a teacher.

Coach Langston: FIHS Tennis Coach 

By Analeise Yoshida
Mary Langston is a coach for the girls' varsity tennis team at Fountain Inn High School. She started to help coach the girls last year for the team's first year with the goal of teaching the team to help grow and empower. She started working with kids because she loves helping and getting to know them. 

“Mary Langston inspires and encourages everyone on the team to do their best and is always proud of us,” Anna Kozawa said. “She teaches in a fun way during practice.”  

Another member of the team, Avriegh Tate thinks, “She is a great coach, is always positive, and makes us feel more like a team. Mary Langston is very understanding and takes time getting to know you.” 

Langston is supportive and coaches the girls both on and off the court. Player Anna Piltan voiced, “Mary Langston has been there for us for both good and bad times. She is a good coach and always tells us to do our best. She has made practice more fun and helped us get better.” 

Lexi Foley agrees, “Mary Langston gives the team a reason to keep working hard and improve at playing. She pushes us to do our best and have fun. My favorite thing about her is how warm-hearted she is to everyone and her eagerness to encourage us further.” 

According to Emma Beam, Langston, “is a great coach and she has made us closer as a team. She makes practice fun and we have improved because of her.”  

Mary Langston started playing tennis in middle school and enjoyed playing. She was on the tennis team during her time at Hillcrest High School and college at Anderson University. She has loved coaching the team with her brother, Reeves. Her favorite memory from playing in college is playing doubles matches and meeting new people. Mary Langston is most excited to watch the team grow and get better this year.  

In her free time, she enjoys playing pickleball, doing activities outside, and traveling to new places. She likes writing and majored in Creative writing in college. When asked if she had the chance to play pro, she said, “Not now, but when I was younger I would have because it is an amazing chance to become something and have that opportunity.”

Quinn Wilson: Student-Favorite Fashion Icon 

By Lucas Harvey

For Quinn Wilson, life isn’t just about coaching cross country and track or teaching computer science and programming. He’s the faculty sponsor for the fashion club at Fountain Inn, being a fashionable teacher himself. His unique and awesome style makes him stand out from the rest.

Wilson is a uniquely interesting teacher. He’s a Cross Country and Track coach, the faculty sponsor for the fashion club at FIHS, as well as a computer science and programming teacher. He’s only 26 years old, in his second year of teaching. When asked about his introduction to education, he said “I got into education through coaching. Once I started my coaching career I realized I was passionate about helping the next generation learn and grow as human beings.”

Students love Wilson for his down-to-earth, calm teaching style. Fundamentals of Web Page Design student Adam O’Brien said “He engages us in class by letting us choose what topics we want to make websites about. The class felt fun and engaging because I could make what I wanted to, and he pushed me to success, and pushed others to push me. Overall, he’s a pretty chill teacher. He isn’t very heavy on restrictions and doesn’t treat us like children.”

Wilson, or Coach Wilson to some, loves Cross Country and Track beyond a coaching job. He said “I had the dream at one point of being a professional runner and if I could do that, and if my body could handle it, that would still be really cool just to be able to focus on that and do that all the time that’d be awesome.” 

Even though the two sports are different, Wilson is passionate about both equally. He said “As a coach it is hard for me to choose; I really enjoy both and don't think I would want to coach one without the other. As an athlete I enjoyed Cross Country more in high school due to the variation in terrain and the distance was better for me. In college I enjoyed track more because it felt more intense and competitive. In college cross country races get longer and it was too long for me at the time.”

Cross Country and Track are two sports that anyone can join. Wilson said “Just try it and don't let it intimidate you. Running is thought of as a punishment in so many sports so most people think of running as a bad thing but they shouldn't. Once you get out there and get into the rhythm of things it is really fun and is a sport you can participate in for the rest of your life!”

Wilson sees his achievements in Cross Country and Track as his greatest achievements. When asked about his greatest achievements, he simply stated “Being able to coach a team that has made it to state 3 years in a row. I never made it to state as an athlete so I am glad I have been able to help athletes reach that higher level.”

Running is a hobby, job, and dream of his, showing his passion for it. His passion is reflected on the field, while he coaches. “We have practice pretty much every day, all year long, cause I coach cross country and track, but I just love getting out there and running with the kids and giving the same experience that I had when I was in high school to them.”

Wilson tries his best to push his Cross Country and Track kids to success. Fashion club member and track runner Jordan Gentry said “Coach Wilson has helped me in track by encouraging me to give it my all in every single race, and to not beat myself up if I lose or don’t do as well as I wanted to. As a coach, he’s super supportive and encourages each one of his players to do their very best and to give it their all every single race.”

Being only 26 years old, Wilson is only at the beginning of his teaching and coaching career. When asked where he sees himself in 10 years, he said “Honestly I see myself still teaching and coaching in ten years, hopefully I’ve gotten a lot better at both of those things, hopefully a state championship in cross country by then, and who knows what else.”

As a young teacher, Wilson also has a very unique and awesome fashion sense. Fashion is more than just wearing clothes to him. He said “I think fashion can be an excellent form of self expression when done right. Fashion can be a way for someone to break out of the norms that society has placed on them and make a statement. Unfortunately large companies have turned the fashion industry into a way to exploit people and to make people feel less than. It's important that people remember that they should wear whatever makes them feel comfortable and they feel best in.  I also think it is really important that people try to get out of ‘fast fashion’ and find a more sustainable way of buying and wearing clothes. Go thrifting or make your own clothes and be who you are, don't worry about what other people think.”

Being the fashion icon of Fountain Inn teachers, Wilson is the faculty sponsor of the Fountain Inn High School fashion club. When asked about his role and how he adopted it, he said “Josiah asked me to be the sponsor and I thought it would be a cool opportunity to work with some students that I may not typically have the opportunity to work with. It is a great group of students and I am lucky to be able to work with them.”

In the Fountain Inn High School fashion club, Wilson is involved heavily. Gentry said “In fashion club he helps me be involved by asking for my opinions and input, and acting as a member along with everyone else more than a sole leader. It makes it feel more chill and relaxed, having him work alongside us.”

Like most people who are into fashion, Wilson gets his inspiration from many sources. He said “I draw inspiration from all kinds of different places. Especially music and TV that I have grown up around. I thrift most of my clothes so really it just comes from finding a cool piece of clothing and building outfits around that.” 

Wilson is a student favorite teacher, coach, and fashion icon at Fountain Inn. He continues to inspire students in many different ways, in and out of school. He has a long future ahead of him in teaching, being so young. He hopes to still be teaching and coaching for a while, and to keep pushing kids to their greatest. 

Brilliant Brave Bonner

The Woman, The Myth, The Legend with the Shoe Collection

By Addie Pipoly

Hardworking, witty and adaptable are three words people have used to describe Berkley Thomas. Thomas has been a resource teacher and basketball coach at Fountain Inn High School since 2020. 

The summer before the school opened, Thomas got to take a tour. She states, “It wasn’t completely done so it was still under construction but I just remember it being nothing like I had ever seen before. A highschool that just didn’t look like highschool. It was a really unique situation.” 

Thomas’s favorite thing about the school is that, “It’s like a family atmosphere. Everybody helps each other out, pushes everyone to be great and students, from what I can see, just seem like they love it here.” While working at FIHS, Thomas has created many titles for herself but couldn’t have done it without the inspiration of an old teacher. 

Thomas’s middle school basketball coach who is also a special ed teacher inspired her to start teaching. Thomas states, “I fell in love with the kids, fell in love with what she did and went from there. Seventh grade on, I knew what I wanted to do.” She has been determined since middle school to pursue her dreams of teaching.

When it all came around and Thomas got the opportunity to start at a new school, she was very excited. She claims this to be her, “biggest accomplishment.” She has been working at FIHS for the past three years and has impacted many lives for the better.

According to Skye Sudduth, an English teacher at FIHS, “She is very easy to work with and is willing to jump into anything. It shows how much she knows and cares!” 

Coach Trey McCray feels similarly. “I think as we have worked together for three years I think we have just found a good rhythm as teaching partners to play off each other's strengths and weaknesses to best help the students. I'm very grateful to her for that!” Not only does Thomas get along with the teachers at FIHS, but the students too.

Sophia Reyes, a freshman, states, “She makes everyone feel like we're all equal and no one is better than others.” Thomas has only been teaching and coaching for a few years but has learned a lot and impacted many lives for the better. This is similar to an influence that Thomas had on her growing up.

Her middle school basketball coach inspired her to start coaching. She is currently the head girls basketball coach at FIHS. She is most looking forward to the new girls this season. 

“We have a lot of young kids that are coming out. A lot of ninth graders that I’m getting to know that came out with us this summer that are full of energy, full of work ethic, just something you can’t really ask for from other kids. Just girls that are really ready to work.” Thomas is ready to push this season and has a couple goals in mind.

Her long-term goals are to continue to grow her program and win a state championship one day. Her short-term goals are to continue to better herself basketball wise, continue to push her girls and help them grow and love the game of basketball.

 McCray expresses, “She can adapt on the fly and is not easily flustered. She has great patience with everyone and is always willing to do whatever needs to be done to help any students. All the kids love her because of how willing she is to help any and all kids. Plus, her shoe game is on point!”

Overall, Thomas has left a long lasting impact on FIHS. Katherine Spigener said it best when she said, “Coach Thomas has a heart for students that often get overlooked, left out, or not well cared for. She is a very caring person, but she's also strong and focused. She also has an amazing shoe collection!”

Sudduth Spotlight

By Lucas Harvey

Skye Sudduth is a new teacher at Fountain Inn in the 23-24 school year. She hails from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and has taught for 11 years, eight years being with Anderson County Schools. She taught at BHP High School for seven years and now teaches Journalism and English 3 at Fountain Inn High School. 

She’s also a JV volleyball coach, for the first time in her career. 

“I always knew that I was meant to teach, so teaching is my passion and something that I thoroughly enjoy, and adding coaching to it just makes things that much better,” said Sudduth

Sudduth advised the creation of the first-ever Fountain Inn High School newspaper. She was an editor for her own high school and college newspapers. From drafting ideas to the printing of the paper itself, she advised Fountain Inn’s Journalism students and pushed them to success.

Being the head of the new Fountain Inn newspaper, she has had a rich past with creating and editing newspapers. 

“When I was in high school, I was an editor and a photography editor for the newspaper. I continued that in college while being an editor for my college newspaper. I’ve had a lot of experience with the creation and the layout, but this would be my first year being an actual advisor and head of a newspaper,” Sudduth said.

Sudduth is a new teacher at Fountain Inn. She previously taught at BHP for seven years, and she’s had a Furious first impression of FIHS. “One of my favorite things about Fountain Inn High School is the amount of pride that the community has in the school and the students have, and everybody has with the school, so hopefully we’ll be representing that pride in a materialistic form such as a newspaper, to be able to show members outside of the community what we have to offer in Fountain Inn.” 

In addition to her excitement with the newspaper, Sudduth is excited for her upcoming archery competitions. She competes in archery at a national level. She competes in the ASA (Archery Shooters Association) and the IBO (International Bowhunters Association). She finished 2nd place for shooter of the year in her IBO season. 

“I love to paint, and do arts and crafty things like building, gardening… I love to be in nature, so doing anything outside is something I enjoy,” said Sudduth. 

She stated that if she was not a teacher, she’d like to be a graphic designer or work with technology in any capacity.

 Sudduth has had a good start to her first year at Fountain Inn. Junior student  Renato Blanco has said, “She’s very nice and made it easy to adjust to the class, it’s a really welcoming environment.” Seamus McConnell said “She’s a very cheery person, she makes the classroom feel bright.”

Coach Hoffman

2023 Teacher of the Year

By Jillian Hug

Coach Jeff Hoffman is so much more than just the teacher of the year. Hoffman is a teacher, a coach, a father, a husband, a friend, a learner and so much more. Hoffman is a football coach and Media Tech teacher at Fountain Inn High School in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. 

Hoffman is one of the original teachers at Fountain Inn High School. “My favorite thing about working at Fountain Inn high school is that we are a little bit different,” Hoffman said. Fountain Inn High School is the first new high school built in Greenville County in over two decades. It is different because every year it adds on a new grade. This 2023-24 school year there are only freshmen, sophomores and juniors. 

Hoffman sees coaching as another form of teaching. He became a coach because his father was a basketball coach, and he wanted to coach like him, but not the same sport. He also grew up in a small town where they didn’t have a football team, but he was always interested in learning more about it. 

Hoffman's favorite coaching moment is when the Fountain Inn Football team won their first varsity game against West Oak this past August. While talking about the past losses of last season, Hoffman says, “Wins and losses don’t define us.” He believes that even through the losses the team can still be optimistic for the future. 

He remembers that Fountain Inn is a growing program and will have success as the program gets bigger. He says although last season was a tough season record wise, they still grew as a program. When Hoffman is asked about what big thing he has learned from coaching that translates to working with students, is patience. 

Hoffman has been coaching for 21 years. In the early stages of his coaching he was a yeller and screamer, but he now feels not that not everyone develops from that type of coaching or teaching style. He expects everyone of his athletes to work the hardest they can, but he now knows he can get them to do that without the yelling. 

Hoffman expects to be competitive and to also improve every week. He reminds the team often that this is just the beginning, and we can learn so much from our losses. He even says, “I think we learn more from failure than success.”  He believes the team learns more from losing than winning. 

If it weren’t for losing there wouldn’t be any improvement. As they lose they learn from their mistakes. Hoffman cares so much about every single athlete he knows. 

His least favorite thing about coaching is watching players get hurt and miss out on their season. The athletes become family to him. Hoffman is always open to learning something new. 

He believes that if you think you know everything in sports, you’re probably wrong. Even as a coach he admits that he doesn’t know everything. Though he has coached for 21 years he is still excited to learn more. He likes learning from the experienced coaches and the new ones too. 

Hoffman impacts peoples’ lives everyday by just being a positive and kind individual. When asking Hoffman what his favorite thing about being a teacher is he says that it's greeting students every morning. Most teachers would disagree with this because they have to be there early, or they have to say good morning to students who won’t even look them in the eye. 

He is loved by staff and students at Fountain Inn High School. Coach Bell, the head athletic director at Fountain Inn High School, had nothing but positive feedback on Hoffman. He says, “I enjoy working with him. He is very knowledgeable and an expert teacher and coach.” 

When asked about Hoffman's weaknesses he says, “I can't really think of a whole lot of weaknesses that he might have because he's been successful at just about everything he's done from coaching football all over the place, a lot of different schools, to starting this Media Tech program here.” Staff members can’t think of anything he struggles with or fails at because he has been so successful at Fountain Inn Highschool. 

When interviewing students in Hoffman’s Media Tech class they explained how much they enjoyed it. Students Jalin Hill and Lucas Harvey expressed how much creative freedom they get in Media Tech. Jalin Hill even says that Hoffman is his favorite teacher and his favorite thing about Media Tech is everything. 

Lucas Harvey was asked about the workload in Media Tech and said, “I wouldn't call his class work. He lets me do what I am passionate about. I don’t see making what I want to make work, but it's what I want to do.” 

Overall Hoffman says, “I just love what I do.” I think that's the key to really excelling at your job. No matter how good you are at your job, you will never have success and the will to keep going if you don’t love it. With a positive attitude and love for what you do, you will do amazing things. We all have something to learn from Hoffman.

Meet The FIHS Softball Coaches

Ashlyn Stewart

By Addie Pipoly

After a fateful season with many challenges and obstacles her junior year of high school, Ashlyn Stewart realized her passion for coaching. Stewart is the head coach of the Fountain Inn High School softball team. With a past of eight years of coaching at Clinton High School, Hillcrest High School, and a travel organization called the Carolina Crush, Stewart has become the coach she always wanted to be. 

Stewart has played softball from age four to 22, starting her career by playing with the Simpsonville Recreational Center. When she was nine, she began travel ball with the Carolina Sandlappers before moving to the Carolina Crush when she turned 15. Stewart then played for Hillcrest High School, where she won a State Championship her Junior year.

Continuing her softball career, Stewart went on to play at Presbyterian College, which is the smallest Division 1 program in the nation. She majored in Middle School Education with a focus in History and English. Now, she works at Hillcrest Middle School as a Social Studies teacher.

With the 2024 season being Stewart’s third year coaching softball at FIHS, she is most looking forward to having her first Varsity team. She states, “I am excited for the opportunity to contend for playoffs, and to see how our program develops.” Along with Stewart’s excitement for this upcoming season, she has a couple of goals.

Her short-term goal is to make it to the playoffs. This will be a huge accomplishment for the team since it will be their first Varsity season. Her long-term goal is to win a state championship.

Talking about long-term, Stewart sees herself having a successful program in the future. “I see us making it to the playoffs every season, and making a name for ourselves in the softball community.” Not only is she big on her team having talent, but expects her girls to respect the game and work hard on and off the field.

She is extremely proud of her team and the girls who have bought into it. “We started off with girls who had little knowledge of the game, but who have grown into young women who love the game and our program. My biggest accomplishment is becoming the Head Coach for FIHS. I always wanted to be a High School Head Coach, so being able to lead a team in a town that is special to me means a lot.”

Stewart leads her team with a fun coaching style. She believes that softball is a game, and there should be a level of fun that you have while playing it. However, she has high standards for her girls as people and athletes and pushes them hard.

She loves them just as hard as well. She believes that building strong relationships with her girls and showing them that she cares allows her to help them grow. She also believes that, “having knowledge of the game and being able to show them hands on how to do something helps as well.”

Stewart has left a long lasting impact on each and every one of her girls. According to Bella Hinjos, a sophomore, “Coach Ashlyn is always there pushing us to our full potential and helping us understand what we are doing and why we are doing it.” Hinojos looks up to Stewart and appreciates how she believes in every single one of her girls and is extremely understanding. 

Hinojos also mentions, “I think anyone who meets them [Stewart and Tony Durham] should know that they mean business and they know where they are going with their plans. They want you to be on task but it’s okay to have a fun day here and there.” 

Durham is Stewart’s dad, and the assistant softball coach at FIHS. Stewart absolutely loves working with her dad, she says it’s a dream come true.

“He is my best friend, and someone I can always count on for guidance. He knows the game and taught me a lot of what I know. As a young coach there are still many things I am learning, so it is nice to have his guidance through the growing process. He has a lot of connections in the softball world, so he has helped me develop my own relationships with coaches and umpires. He also takes care of the field; if it wasn't for him our field would not be as nice as it is. The only bad thing about us coaching together is that we are so similar that we often butt heads on how we want to do things.”

Stewart is very open about her love for her dad and is very thankful he’s coaching with her. Although they have a very strong bond, you will often see or hear them bickering like a father and daughter would. Stewart loves to give Durham a hard time about being his boss.

Not only does Stewart think highly of Durham, but AJ Jeffcoat too. Jeffcoat is the new JV softball coach for the 2024 season.

“I am ecstatic about Jeffcoat joining the coaching staff. She has been a mentor to me for years, and someone I can rely on to keep me steady. She has the ability to connect well with people and to teach them things easily, which I think will be a great asset to our program.”

All in all, Stewart loves Fountain Inn and the people in it. “When you have coaches who love what they are doing, your program will flourish.”

Tony Durham

“He always has a smile on his face and is making us laugh. He treats every single one of us like we are his daughters and that we are valued. He never lets anyone feel discouraged or unimportant.” states Bella Hinojos, a sophomore. Tony Durham is the assistant softball coach at Fountain Inn High School.

Along with coaching, Durham has worked at the General Electric Gas Turbine Plant for the past 35 years. He is the Operations Leader for the Testing/Aero/Cyber CEO. He went to college at Greenville Tech and has an Associates Degree in Electronics Engineering.

Durham’s daughters got him into coaching softball. They wanted to play travel ball but there weren’t many teams available at the time. Instead of giving up on his daughters’ hopes, he started his own team so they would be able to play.

Along with starting his own travel team, he coached at Hillcrest, Bryson Middle School, travel organizations called the Carolina Crush and Carolina Sandlapper, and is now currently coaching at FIHS.

This upcoming season at FIHS, Durham is looking forward to the first Varsity season. He hopes to make the playoffs. Long-term, he hopes to compete for a state championship. 

He reaches to achieve these goals by coaching his girls with sarcasm and humor. He pushes them hard and wants them to succeed, but he will never get down on them. He uses positive encouragement to get through to his players. 

Durham is extremely thankful for having the opportunity to work with different individuals and watch them grow. He is proud of getting to see all the young ladies he has coached grow up and succeed in life.

One of the girls he has coached, Hinojos, states, “They [Ashlyn Stewart and Durham] are some of the nicest, most caring people I have ever met. If someone new meets them, I think they will be just as grateful as I am to have met them.” Stewart is Durham’s daughter and they coach together at FIHS.

Durham states, “Coaching with my daughter is the greatest privilege of my life, but it is harder than I thought it would be. We are both very opinionated and competitive which can lead to fiery conversations.”

Not only does Durham love to coach with his daughter, but is looking forward to coaching with AJ Jeffcoat too. Jeffcoat is the new JV coach. Durham has known her for a long time and has the greatest admiration for her.

Overall, Durham is dedicated, competitive, and understanding. Hinojos states, “He believes in every single girl. He knows how to pick a player up when they’re having a bad day. He makes you feel like you can do anything, even if you don’t believe you can.” With a coach like that, a team will grow and thrive.

AJ Jeffcoat

Caring, guiding, and passionate are three words people have used to describe AJ Jeffcoat. Jeffcoat is the new JV softball coach for Fountain Inn High School. She also works at Rudolph Gordon Middle School as a sixth grade science teacher, head volleyball coach, and athletic director.

Two of Jeffcoat’s biggest passions are mentoring and sports. Being able to put those two together to help student-athletes become better athletes and citizens in society is Jeffcoat’s biggest motivation for coaching.

Jeffcoat has helped student-athletes at several different schools including Bryson Middle School, Hillcrest High School, Southside Christian School, and Rudolph Gordon School. She is beyond excited to add FIHS to the list. 

“I am excited about building relationships with all the girls and being able to work with so many talented young ladies. I want to give the girls the guidance they need when it comes to their physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual areas of life.”

As Jeffcoat begins her coaching journey at FIHS, she is excited about this opportunity and looks forward to seeing all the successes in 2024. She loves seeing athletes be so passionate about the sport they love that they not only want to better themselves but will do anything to support their teammates as well. She believes that teams should be more like a family.

To achieve her goals, Jeffcoat coaches in a style she wished to be coached in. She speaks truth to anyone and always means well. “It's important for my student-athletes to know that our hearts, minds, and bodies are interconnected; all three parts work together to form us into who we are.  I want them also to know that whatever is in our hearts affects our thoughts and minds. How we treat our bodies impacts our hearts.”

Jeffcoat has no fear as she joins the FIHS softball coaching staff. She can’t wait to reunite with a lot of former Rudoph Gordon student-athletes and watch them thrive at this level.

Jeffcoat has made quite the impression on girls at many different schools and will add Fountain Inn to the list. Former Rudolph Gordon student-athlete, Emma Croy, states, “She’s a very uplifting person. She is someone that anyone can go to for advice. She is very hardworking and never gives up on anyone or anything. She is very smart with her words and knows exactly what to say to someone. Overall, she is just a really really good person to have in your life.”

Another student-athlete, Hannah Bomar, was introduced to Jeffcoat at the Rec Center last year. She got close to Jeffcoat and often calls her to talk about volleyball. “She is the type of person I can call in the middle of the night to randomly talk about something that is going on in my life. She will stay up and talk me through it. She’s always there for her athletes and any athlete really when they’re struggling and need someone to pick them up.”

Jeffcoat will continue her legacy at FIHS and is extremely thankful for the opportunity to work with Stewart and Durham. She has known them for over 20 years and remembers watching Stewart play softball when she was 11 years old. She has observed Durham as an effective coach and role model for many years. 

Jeffcoat is extremely thankful for the support system she has at Rudolph Gordon and is excited to see how it’s like coaching with Stewart and Durham. “It is an HONOR to join their coaching staff! I could learn a LOT from them and become a better coach, so I look forward to joining the coaching staff.”

More to the Man just Seen as a Coach

By Eric Lundy

Fountain Inn did a staff spotlight Coleman, the Fountain Inn High School Varsity Wide-Receiver coach on Aug 30, 2023. Fountain Inn High School chose to put a spotlight on him because he is always seen as just a teacher and coach but not as his own unique person. 

To begin, Fountain in reporter talked with his wide receiver coaching partner, coach Cunningham and here is what he had to say about his peer, “Coach Coleman is just a mentally tough person, he can get through any kind of controversy no matter how difficult it may seem.” Coleman has a great mentality and always reminds his players that mindset is everything which lead him to be successful in different aspects of his life.

His self-confidence and positive mindset about himself also helped him succeed in sports during highschool. Coleman was a multi-sport athlete, in Highschool he ran track, played football and wrestled. He participated in the 4x100 relay, 4x200 relay, and triple jump in track and field, he  was 140 weight class in wrestling and was the running back for his high school varsity team. 

Our team also spoke to one of his receivers, Colby Flood, this is what he had to say about his coach, “Everytime during blocking drills, he reminds us that it is a mindset to block and having a strong will along with a confident mindset will have you playing on that field on friday night.” 

Coleman loves his players and students and Fountain Inn High as a whole and intends to still be working at FIHS five years from now. He adores the building's layout and it’s unique design and is something he has never seen before his whole life. 

Coleman’s greatest accomplishment in his opinion is being a husband to his wife and father to his kids. Coleman loves his family and also had two dogs at home named Odie and Ladybird. He loves taking his kids on trips to unique places like historical landmarks and museums because when he was a kid he loved when his parents took him on those types of trips. When Coleman was a kid he wanted to be a teacher and did later in his career, which has to do with his only regret in life which is teaching and coaching sooner.

Franklin, A Teacher and Coach with a Legacy of Excellence

Franklin, a respected figure at Fountain Inn High School, has been selected as this year's teacher spotlight due to his family's deep commitment to education. Both his parents have long careers in teaching, with his father involved since 1997 and his mother dedicating 28 years to education. Franklin sees teaching as a family tradition he naturally embraced.

Kayla Giles, a student, admires Franklin for his understanding and helpfulness, especially in web design. He believes in motivating students beyond acquiring knowledge, emphasizing character development and preparing for the real world.

In his interactions with students, Franklin stresses the importance of school years as the foundation for future success. He encourages active learning, asking questions, pursuing knowledge, and exploring personal interests. Franklin's teaching style fosters a relaxed atmosphere where students can freely express themselves and values self-correction and experiential learning.

Franklin humbly replied about his path into teaching, 'It's sort of a family tradition, and I simply found my way into it, really, more or less.'

Kayla Giles observes, "He's genuinely understanding and extends a hand wherever he can."

Beyond teaching, Franklin enjoys spending time with his newborn son and pursuing hobbies like watching sports and grilling. He has a passion for basketball and football, analyzing games and creating plays. He also enjoys exploring different restaurants.

Franklin's coaching journey began with basketball in the Amateur Athletic Union about seven years ago. Interestingly, his initial passion was baseball, but he fell in love with basketball after watching legends like Shaquille O'Neal dominate the court. This early fascination ignited a lasting passion for basketball.

Franklin shares, "My first love is baseball. Not many people know that about me. But growing up playing three sports, you get exposed to a lot."

On the basketball court, Franklin's coaching style is characterized by assertiveness aimed at improving players' skills and fostering character development. He emphasizes comprehensive player development, both on and off the court, nurturing excellence in athletics and academics.

Eric Lundy describes Coach Franklin's coaching style as "characterized by an assertive approach to enhance players' basketball skills."

Franklin recognizes the value of approaching the game from various angles, remarking, "So, I still fell in love with that, and being able to now look at it from a different angle without playing it is an eye-opening experience also. I'm just looking to learn more about the game daily."

Franklin's impact extends beyond the court, as he inspires his players to reach their full potential. His love for sports and his experience as a player and coach enrich the learning experience for his team.

The Music Hero in Disguise: Mrs. Wahl

Coach Nichols' Impact on FIHS

By Kayla Giles

    Impacting students on the field and in the classroom, Coach Brett Nichols strives to make a difference at Fountain Inn High School.  Nichols teaches Business in the CTE department and is the head coach for the varsity football team. Nichols has been at FIHS since it opened its doors in 2021. 

     As a coach, and as a teacher, he is a very hard worker and pushes people to be their absolute best. Prior to Fountain Inn, Nichols was a coach for Gardner-Webb University, North Greenville University and Furman University and also Hillcrest High School. Nichols not only brings his experience to the field, but he impacts it with the knowledge he provides the students.

      Coming to Fountain Inn, Nichols knew that there were going to be some difficulties: the size of the team compared to other schools and making adjustments to a non-traditional teaching style. Despite these difficulties, Nichols made it his responsibility not to give up when times were tough. “Part of growth is also part of maturity, understanding that there's a different case in everything we do, there's going to be times in our life, times in our job, times in our family that we are going to take a loss. And how we respond to that loss is everything.” With committing to this team comes great responsibility to know not to give up when it is hard. So yes, there are going to be great losses, and some not so great. But through it all there is room for improvement for the next game! Nichols understands the balance of being hard on them but also lifting them up, but all of these things lead to them doing things to the fullest.  Nichols knows the challenges that come with coaching but he still accepts them and gives it his all and is willing to go through the hardships for his players and to help them grow just as much as he does. He stays organized and detailed so that things can go more smoothly.

      “Our goal now and always will be to stay in the state of constant improvement. Fountain Inn is a smaller school than most. It is a new school that is constantly growing in its sports and education. Along with the constant growth comes constant improvement to get better.” Nichols puts all he has into the small school of Fountain Inn. 

    Step by step, Nichols is helping Fountain Inn learn and develop their program.  One way that he teaches is by tying the real world examples into the classroom. This way the students can better understand and connect with what is going on. Overall through teaching and especially being a coach, he is always going to push people past their limits to be the best they can be.  Bell says, “I enjoy working with Coach Nichols, he does a wonderful job, not only with our football program, but he's also an outstanding teacher who again just got into teaching a few years ago and he is learning and getting better every day.” Nichols puts a lot of time into his jobs and responsibilities, and is improving himself.

        There are so many similarities between being a coach and being a teacher. “The responsibilities, the lessons, there are many different kinds of people in a classroom, and on a team that have different backgrounds, but we are all here for the same reason.” Nichols says, “The best coaches are really good teachers. You can learn a lot from coaching that helps you become a better teacher. This can go both ways as well, you can learn a lot from teaching that helps in your coaching life too.”

         Nichols has many strengths, he is very dependable, and he knows not to let people get away with things, so that they can be their absolute best version of themselves.  Nichols is an outstanding coach. His knowledge about the game is so vast that it strongly affects the team.  Nichols is also a disciplinarian because he strives for success and works towards that. Nichols is also a leader, he is someone people are drawn to, and want to be like him. He is a mentor to many, and he is very direct with people, because of this people know to turn to him when looking to be better. 

Although Nichols is someone a lot of people look up to, he also looks up to someone. Nichols looks up to “the real Coach McCray” Trey McCray. That is who he strives to be like; he admires how well he does in his job and wants to do just as well.  Nichols works hard to better his team, but also just as hard to better himself. 

       There are so many people who think highly of  Nichols. Coach Robbie Bell states that “Coach Nichols is very willing to help out in any way he can, not only with his athletic teams, but athletic teams over the school, on and off of the field.” In this small growing town, Nichols is always there to help with the community and school as a whole.

         Hoffman explains how Nichols wants the best for the school and works hard to make people the best version of themselves. By saying “He demands everybody be better, whether it be us as coaches, the players, the students, he wants Fountain Inn football to be great so he's pushing us all to always be better.” Constantly and consistently, Nichols is always pushing people to be and do their best. 

He has pushed the team so hard and has been  there for them so intently that varsity got to celebrate the first ever win for Fountain Inn against West Oak.. This win created a great time to see the players who have been working since middle school have the excitement of accomplishment in something and have success. 

                Even though all of these activities and sports take up most of the time, Nichols also has a life outside of school. One interesting thing about him is that he lives a mile away from the school. This is a great opportunity that has made it easier to make everything work. He enjoys playing golf and even has two kids that he gets involved in school activities. Has an amazing family that supports him in everything he does. He has a strong balance throughout the academic, sports and family life, many impacts that he has made throughout his life help him to where he is now. Nichols is an example to all and you can always count on him for anything. 

MR. SHEFFIELD SHINES IN THE WORLD OF MECHATRONICS 

By Bri Strickland

Happy and hard-working are two words that are frequently used to describe Robert Sheffield. Sheffield is a teacher of Mechatronics 1, Mechatronics 2, and Mechatronics 3/Digital Electronics at Fountain Inn High School. He came to FIHS from Laurens High School after teaching there for 25 years. This will be his second year at Fountain Inn and his second year teaching mechatronics. 

He teaches at Fountain Inn High because he likes being a part of the community and helping young students achieve their goals. He impacts Fountain Inn High by helping students in the mechanical and electrical world of mechatronics. But it’s not just that, he’s also a very cheerful and happy person to be around and he brings joy to the entire community. 

Benton Reed works with Sheffield and states that Sheffield’s favorite part about teaching mechatronics and being a teacher is probably “Getting to see students get real-world opportunities. Like field trips, apprenticeships, internships, and getting to be a part of helping them get out there and get those jobs, even in high school.” Not only does Coach Reed work with him, but so does Coach Nichols and he states that Sheffield’s strength is probably that “He really cares about his students and helping them learn what he’s working with.” 

Sheffield states that he finds the electrical laws and digital logic of electronics very interesting, but that’s not his overall favorite part about the subject. His favorite part about mechatronics is seeing the joy and happiness they get when they accomplish something they never thought they would be able to accomplish. Sheffield states that the best part is “Watching the joy students get from trying a tough project and realizing they have the ability to accomplish their goals.”

He likes teaching because he likes seeing his students happy and seeing them realize they can accomplish hard tasks no matter how difficult they may be. Sheffield doesn’t give up on his students no matter what, he influences them to keep going and to keep trying to accomplish their goals in life. Although, there can be some pros in mechatronics, there can also be some cons. 

Sheffield’s least favorite part about teaching mechatronics is “Seeing students who don’t have the confidence in themselves to keep persevering in their work.” This shows how he truly tries and cares for his students and their accomplishments in his class.

 Although some kids are more confident than others and some struggle more than others, Sheffield is always easy-going and happy with every single one of them and how hard they try no matter what. Sheffield is a very confident and joyful person and he helps influence all of his students by just being there for them on a day-to-day basis.

 A student from his class, Jackson Semethy states, “I really like having Sheffield, I think he’s a really good teacher and does good teaching the subject.”

He isn’t just a mechatronics teacher but he is also a leader. He leads his students towards having confidence in themselves to persevere through not just work but through everything in life. Not only does he lead students, but he also leads other teachers at Fountain Inn High by always being happy, inspiring, and welcoming to anyone and everyone he meets.

 Sheffield is overall a really good person with a good, kind heart who wants to help high school students achieve their goals to the best of his ability. He loves seeing his students learn and succeed in his class. He is very hardworking and will do anything and everything for his students.

 He’s such a great teacher and leader all in one. Fountain Inn High wouldn’t be the same without Sheffield. And although not everybody likes mechatronics, Sheffield is more than that. He is a part of the high school community and deserves to be noticed and appreciated for what he does to impact the Fountain Inn community every day.

Who is Adrianna Napier?

By Jorden Thomas-Croft

Adrianna Napier was born on January 18th in New York, but grew up in Bluffton, SC. Napier is one of the many guidance counselors here at Fountain Inn which opened in 2020. As a child, Napier expressed her love for art leading her to want to become an artist. 

She attended Bluffton High School where she would graduate in 2009. Napier pursued college after high school. “I got my B.S. In Psychology with a minor in Studio Art from College of Charleston (CoC) and my Master’s in Counselor Education from The Citadel Graduate College. I also went to Paul Mitchell cosmetology school.” 

When Napier graduated from CoC, her goal was to work in research at the Neuroscience Department of MUSC. While Napier had a specific plan for herself, things changed (and for the better) and her son came into the picture. “He compels me to grow and be better, and he brings me joy every day.” Everyone has someone to bring them joy and lift them up and help them to where they are today, and for Napier, her son provides that for her. 

Before coming to Fountain Inn High School Napier worked as a hairstylist, which is what ultimately influenced her to become a guidance counselor. Napier stated that “Surprisingly, when I was a hairstylist my clients would essentially treat it like a counseling session. People tell their hairstylist everything. I was told many times that I am great at listening and empathy, so that steered me towards counseling.”

Whether it be styling hair, or counseling, there are pros and cons to any profession.

Napier said that the connections, stories, and trust of the students that she works with means so much to her. Her least favorite joy of the job is schedule change requests. 

For the 2023-2024 school year, Napier hopes to make a name for herself in the school as someone who makes others feel safe, heard, and cared for. “I’d LOVE to see all my students promoted to the next grade and get my 11th graders college and career ready.” 

When it comes to becoming a guidance counselor in a high school setting it can be fun and interesting to learn the lives of the kids you're going to be with for the next couple of years. “What I love most about working with your age group is being able to have an impact. Being a teenager can be scary, and challenging! Having a trusted, caring adult in your life can make a big difference and I love being that for the students.” 

While Napier loves her job and her role at FIHS, she also loves hiking, making macramé art, PC gaming, go kart racing, traveling, drawing & learning digital art. To get to where she is today, Napier had to accomplish many things and never give up even when things got hard. Napier stated that some of her biggest accomplishments were “Graduating from The Citadel with honors, winning the Col. Hirshey award, presenting a workshop at the SC Counseling Conference, and getting a job here at FIHS!” 

Napier hopes to achieve more goals and hopes to continue her career here at Fountain Inn High School for more years to come. She is already making her mark.

Coach Tuten's Iron Journey: Transforming Lives One Lift at a Time

By Owen Medlen 

He's a great coach, Some examples of how Coach Tuten is a great coach are “I like implementing the science exercises that I’ve learned to help others improve athletic ability”. He is a great athletic coach for Fountain Inn because he cares about people getting better athletically, ”I do not like that most people just want to bench press and do upper body rather

then do things that directly benefit them as athletes such as sprinting.” 

He also said that he became a weightlifting coach because ”When I was an athlete I enjoyed the training aspect of sports and the science behind it. Being a strength coach allows me to stay involved in athletics while also coaching one of my favorite aspects of sports.”  Coach Tuten also likes to do other things in his free time.“I like to watch college football and go hunting when I'm not helping students get better”.

Coach Tuten was asked why he thinks we need weightlifting at Fountain Inn he said “ I like to think it is important because students can use this tool to meet certain goals like becoming a better athlete. The weight room is also an area where students get to work together and can encourage one another to improve. Coach Tuten said that he likes taking different types of tests in the weight room. “ I like writing tests sometimes because I think it's good to know the terms of what we are doing, but I also like maxing out our compound lifts to record progress there. 

Coach Tuten loves working with students to get them more athletic and stronger but when he was asked what type of people he does not work with he replied with just “lazy people”. Coach Tuten has probably had some big accomplishments over his weightlifting career but he said his biggest accomplishment is “Raising 4 kids to love Jesus Christ”.

“I try to explain to them why we are doing what we are doing and how it will help them”, he mainly motivates students by explaining to them what they are doing. He was asked where he went to college to become a weightlifting coach and he said “Winthrop University but the person who truly inspired me to do this is Dr. Bowers from Winthrop University”. His favorite way to measure success in the weight room is “Simply improving from start to finish”.

Some of Coach Tuten's students were interviewed about coach Tuten Bryce Bigley was asked how coach Tuten helped him in the weight room and he said “ he helps me get more athletic and stronger”. Bryce was also asked about one thing that he does not like about Coach Tuten and he said “he does not like to back squat and that is my favorite lift to do, but overall I still think Coach Tuten is a great weightlifting coach.” 

Who Is Coach Sadler?

 Coach Rodrick Sadler loves working with the kids at Fountain Inn High School. He also loves working at the school with the teachers. 

“It was a brand new school and gave me the opportunity to work as a head basketball coach,” said Sadler.

He is originally from Spartanburg SC. His biggest accomplishment was marrying his wife and having his two kids. In his spare time he likes to grill, watch/play sports, and hang out with family and friends.

Sadler loves coaching basketball and he loves working with the kids here at Fountain Inn High School. His strengths in teaching are the ability to connect with students and apply things to everyday life and be real with the kids.

   Something that motivates Sadler in school and in basketball is Winning. He described his teaching style as “relatable and upbeat.” Sadler explained that he learned more teaching in the school than he did preparing for this job. He said it's all about the experience.  

Some things he would like to accomplish while working in this school is A Law Pathway, Reigning State Championships in basketball and getting kids into college. Sadler explained his greatest challenge is “keeping the students motivated and keeping them going and working hard”. 

Sadler teaches lots of different classes like Human Geography, Law Education, and Sociology. His favorite subject is any kind of Social Studies except government. His ability to connect with students allows the students to want to work harder and actually want to go to his classes.

Who is Mrs. Bianchi?

By Owen Medlen

Christina Bianchi is an amazing  teacher. She is one of the best teachers that we have at Fountain Inn High School. Bianchi describes herself as very organized, she gives clear directions and understand that students are people too.

 “I have a relationship with all the students that I teach and I very clearly give directions.” Bianchi likes to do a lot of other things besides always doing things for school she said. “Things I like to do in my free time are lift, travel, watch sports, and spend time with my family and friends.” 

She loves teaching and wants to do it for a long time, she said. “I see myself being a teacher for a long time but when I am done teaching I am planning to travel the world”. She's always wanted to be a teacher ever since she was little.

“I decided to become a teacher because it was always something I wanted to do, I feel like it runs in my blood,” she said.

She loves sports and likes watching them on the weekends. Her twp favorites are baseball and college football, she said. “My favorite sports to watch are College football and Pro baseball but if I had to choose one it would probably be baseball”.  .Bianchi makes a great impact in the community at Fountain Inn, everyone loves her and she is so nice. Bianchi was asked how she motivated her students and she responded “ I try to make meaningful connections with my students because I see them as real people not just students.

"Students in the Fountain Inn community all love Mrs. B." One students said “She's the best teacher I've ever had, she is so nice and explains everything so well”. Teachers in the school also love her, she is one of the most liked people in the community, one teacher said, “she works hard to ensure learning for all of her students and she's cool”.

Special Education Super Heroes 

By Aalynna Powers, Danielle Kingsley, Priscilla Guiliano and Rento Blanco Rojas

 Some of the most skilled people in the building work in the Special Education department. Just a few of these inspirational educators are Tamara Sellers, Meghan Sutherland, Alicia Sims, Carey Reichardt, and April Sherrill. Take a look into the lives of each of these powerful women. 

Sutherland was born and raised in Simpsonville, and graduated from Hillcrest High. She moved to Charleston for college and stayed there for 10 years for school and teaching. She moved back to Simpsonville in 2015. She has 3 dogs (Ollie, Mowgli, Waffles), 2 guinea pigs (Peanut and Bubbles) and has a classroom hamster named (Chester). 

When asked how teaching a day of Special Education is, Sutherland had many things to say. Her four top words to describe a typical day are: “Chaotic, wild, loud, funny. Every day is not the same. Instead of focusing on a whole group, I have to plan and teach each student individually. I have students who cannot read or need to trace words, to students who can read on a 4th grade level and can write paragraphs. Everything has to be modified for each student. It's a lot of planning and creating multiple activities to each one concept, but it makes for an exciting lesson for all students.”

Sutherland was asked how she maintains discipline while teaching Special Education. “I am very relaxed in my classroom. I know students with disabilities come with many emotional or behavior concerns and all struggle with communication and expressing their emotions. My discipline routine always starts with relationships.” Instead of creating a conflict between Sutherland and her students, discipline plays a good part in her classroom. 

The next teacher we’ll be talking about is Tamara Sellers. She teaches Special Education in room 1302. She is originally from Henderson, NC and is now located in Fountain Inn. She got her bachelor's degree from Northwood University and she is enrolled in a Masters Degree from Grand Canyon university. In 2025 she will graduate with her Masters and will become a Certified Special Ed Instructor.  

This is Sellers’ first year of teaching, but she has a passion for teaching Special Education.‘“Being placed in the department as an aide, working one on one with the students is rewarding and I feel like I can make a difference in the lives of the students.” Sellers works to make a difference in the lives of special education students everyday. 

“I want to impact the lives of students in a way that goes beyond education in the classroom. I want to give them a role model- someone to look up to.” Sellers wants to be someone that her students can look up to and them to learn something from her. Sellers wants to impact her students' lives outside of education. She wants to let them learn something from her that will help them in their future lives. 

Our next teacher that we will be talking about is Alecia Sims. Sims is not just a special education teacher, she is also one of the girls’ basketball Sims. “Developing and helping young ladies achieve their goals on and off the court” is one of her favorite things about her job.  Sims loves helping the girls on the basketball team achieve their goals not just on the court but off the court too. Sims wants to help impact their lives for their future lives. “It is not an academic skill, it's a physical skill.” Sims explains that coaching to her is more than just her kids being physically active, she also helps them academically.

Our second to last teacher that we will be talking about is Carey Reichardt. This is her 24th year of teaching and her second  year of teaching special education at Fountain Inn High School. Reichardt was at Summerville High School from 2000 to 2010 and then Reichardt was at the Washington Center from 2010 to 2022 and then has been at Fountain Inn since last year 2022-present. 

We asked her what makes her want to teach special education. Reichardt said, “I love working with special education. I always loved it. I click with the kids. I like to get up to go to work. I love to engage with the students everyday being out in the community and seeing all of the progress they can make.” Reichardt enjoys seeing progress from her students. 

 “It’s very rewarding to see how far they progress under your time that you have with them because you have a limited time but to see where they start and see how independent they become and the progress they make in jobs in the community that we do with the students”. . Carey Reichardt and Nardia Lloyd take their students on “mini-field trips” out in the community to allow the students to work different jobs to teach them life skills. 

“The trips we go on are called Community Based Instruction Trips or CBI’s. These trips support the transition from school to adult life and promote the successful inclusion of students with disabilities in their communities”. The primary focus is to teach students to function as independently as possible in many community environments as possible to enhance their quality of life. On these trips students practice real-world job skills and functional life skills such as grocery shopping, being able to read community signs to locate things or seek help and basic money skills. 

Lastly we have April Sherrill, a special education teacher at Fountain Inn High School. Sherrill has been teaching at the school ever since its grand opening and was a special education aide before becoming a teacher. 

We asked her how it is to teach and she said, “it's different every day” and that not every day is the same day. To add on, her favorite part about teaching is the “Aha moment” when students finally get what the teacher has been trying to explain and she states that it is the best part and her favorite. 

Some of Sherrill’s hobbies are reading, shopping, and yard work. When she goes shopping she specifically mentioned that she looks for shoes. Sherrill says that she also has an interest in embroidery and does all of these in the free time she can find herself in.
Sherril moved into Greenville 7 years ago and began her teaching journey at Ralph Chandler Middle School as a substitute teacher. A girl came into the classroom she was subbing one day and she became the girl’s aide. The girl was in a wheelchair and Sherril states “I just loved helping the girl and I loved the difference it made.” 

The inspiration that these women have felt from the difference students’ made in their lives transfers directly to the difference they are making at FIHS. They inspire the student body (students they teach as well as students they just have the opportunity to get to know). Their work is very appreciated and they are the superheroes of FIHS!

Mr. Smith: Living His Dream At FIHS

Unleashing The Wonder Of Science: Meet Mrs. O’Meara, The Teacher Who Lights Up Classrooms

Celebrating the Science Staff

The Chemical Mrs. Corley

By Autumn Lee

Who is Shiny Head Jones?

By EJ Lundy

When you hear Coach Jones what comes to mind? You may think of him as your Fountain Inn High School teacher, or maybe your coach, maybe even just someone with a shiny clean head you've only seen around campus. Coach Jones is more than a teacher, coach and some bald guy you’ve seen around the school. There is a lot more to him than you know and he is his own unique and interesting person.

To start, Jones loves coaching and in high school he preferred individual sports, so he participated in wrestling and Karate. He also took part in XC and swimming for conditioning. He also enjoys Penn State wrestling and Carolina football.

Jones loves pizza depending on the day and has loved it since he was a kid and as a kid his favorite memory was getting a Playstation 2, this is his favorite memory because at the time they were extremely hard to find and claims his dad is a “real one” for getting it for him.

Jones also has two kids, Wyatt and Obi, that he also hopes to give similar great memories to. 

“I love both of my kids equally, but Obi is MORE equal than Wyatt right now,” Jones said when asked who the favorite child is.

Right now may be too early to predict but every parent truly has a favorite child. 

Jones was born in Indiana but moved to South Carolina when he was only two years old. He grew up to be humorous and love sports. He always loved spending time with his family and still does to this day. As he grew up he graduated in 2003 and wanted to teach.

Now you may ask, “How is Coach Jones as a teacher?” or “How does he act with students in his classes?” When students were asked what is different about Jones than other teachers, most said they enjoy learning from him more than any other teacher.

“In my opinion, Coach Jones is different from any other teacher just because of his humor and he can relate to me and more students from the highschool and middle school sports background. Overall his personality and similarities is why I enjoy learning from him, he makes school more fun and exciting," Lakenya Curention said.

 When asked about Jones, many students described him as a humorous and bright teacher. One of Jones’s students, Kellet King, spoke about his teaching ability along with his effect on kids.

 “Coach Jones is my freshman success teacher and is honestly great at his job. He makes me want to come to school everyday and learn how to be successful and learn how to survive throughout high school. He has a great sense of humor and personality that is easy to get along with,’’ King said.

According to his students, Jones is a humorous person and doesn't have any problems most of the time. He wants his students to learn how to survive high school and they plan after high school in his freshman success class, so they are prepared and ready for the real world. 

Not just the students he teaches enjoy learning or even spending time with Jones. His players from Fury wrestling look up to him and love his presence during practice.

Middle school, or better known as D - Team, eighth grade wrestler Chase Lundy gave a word on Jones. 

“Coach Jones is a great guy and always helps me and my teammates succeed in wrestling but speaks to us about the real world and what to be prepared for,” Lundy said.

Jones is a fan favorite amongst the players not only because of the knowledge on the mat but also off of the mat. 

“Overall, he is a great guy and is fair to all his players and from what I hear all his students. He is also very bald which is funny,” Lundy went on to say.

To summarize, Jones is an inspiring, informal and hilarious person, he shines to his peers and students. Literally.

Herr Baker: Die Legende

By Abigail Garrett

Herr Baker started teaching in 1989, he came to Fountain Inn High School to start a new program at the school, and Ms. Tiller also wanted to have German. He is always looking forward to bringing the exchange students into Fountain Inn High School on Sept. 29.

“My first experience with the German language came when I entered Greece Arcadia High School (a suburb of Rochester NY) and had to choose a foreign language to study to fulfill the requirements for college admittance and a Regents Diploma from the State of New York. My German teacher was excellent and won many awards for teaching throughout her career,” Baker said.

Baker is very passionate about his class.

“I treat my students like family & very compassionate,” Baker said.

Baker is a very helpful and a great teacher all around the school. He is very helpful if you need something important and can also correctly guide you. But he does focus more on his German classes. Baker loves to do things outside of school and also loves his family.

“Things I like to do in my free time is go visit my son in college and spend time with my wife,” Baker said. 

Baker loves to spend time with his family just like he spends time with his students. 

All his students and coworkers love and enjoy his program and Baker himself. 

“He is very passionate about his students, he is always very intelligent with the things he does around the school, very excited for his new programs,” a German 3 Hon student said.

Mr Marsh's First Year as a Teacher 

By Annaleise Yoshida

Cody Marsh is a first-year math teacher at Fountain Inn High School. During high school, he loved math very much and knew he wanted to become a math teacher. 

During his junior year in high school, Marsh started to help tutor kids at his school and with the National Honors Society. He was one of the few people who felt comfortable enough to tutor math and soon learned that he was making a difference in the way kids learn. His favorite part of being a teacher is getting to be a part of his students' lives and get to know them. His students would describe him as a nice, respectful, and helpful teacher. Their favorite thing about him is how hands-on, how engaging he is, and how much he encourages his students to do their best every day.

 Marsh was born and raised in Fountain Inn and has lived here his whole life. He went to Hillcrest High School and he played the trombone in band and became the drum major of the marching band. This is his first year as a teacher after graduating from Anderson University last year. 

Daschia Meeks, who works closely with him, said,  “He takes notes and makes sure he has everything prepared for his students. He also loves math and wants others to love it too.”  “Working with him keeps me on my toes. I have been teaching for over 20 years and I see some things differently after hearing his perspective. He is very dedicated to his work and always gives 100% of his effort.”

Victor Nava was asked what his favorite thing about Marsh was and he said, “He makes math much easier to learn, and makes sure to help the students who need more help.”  His first impression of him was, “I knew  Mr. Marsh  prior to the school year so I thought he was nice a nice person and chill.”

When asked, “What is it like being a math teacher?” He responded with, “It is sometimes very difficult because like I said math is one of those subjects where students come in with really strong preconceptions about what they can and cannot do. However, I also think it's one of the most rewarding when a lesson really goes well and you see students enjoying what they are learning.”If he had to pick a different career, Marsh would want to be an engineer. When he was in college, he had the opportunity to work as an intern at an engineering firm and enjoyed it, but it just was not the same as teaching.

 In his free time, he enjoys being outside and has hiked over 300 miles in the mountains in Western North Carolina. He also likes working on cars, reading books, listening to music, and watching movies.

Meet the Men in Room 2303

 By Renato Blanco-Rojas and Danielle Kingsley

Jayson Aviles, Keith Humphrey, and Kee Robinson aren’t any type of teachers, they have something special that sets them apart from others. It's not just the way or the subjects they teach, but rather the story behind them and what inspired them. We sat down with three inspirational teachers that all teach in room 2303. They teach the special education students in Fountain Inn High school. We gathered info about their experiences during and prior to becoming a teacher as well as their future plans for their teaching experiences. 

Aviles is a teacher at Fountain Inn High and is currently in his second year at FIHS. He resides in the Simpsonville community and enjoys being closer to the school because at his prior school, Wade Hampton he was very far. Aviles now feels like he is able to participate way more and interact with his students more after school. He states that it was one of the things he felt was missing as a teacher.

“I feel as if it is easier to interact with students now that the school I go to is closer.” Aviles said.

Aviles has always taught classes that translate well into the community and it's not something that is new to him. His favorite part about the subject he teaches is that he can show the kids hands on skills with designing and creating clothes and give them the experience of what it is like to work in the subject they are learning about. He also enjoys when the kids get to see clothing that they designed or came up with in the community and that it makes the kids feel special and like what they are doing truly matters and that other people enjoy their creations.

A fun fact that almost nobody knows about Aviles is that he is in the top 1% of ranked online players in modern warfare 1. He loves to play video games in his free time and it's one of his hobbies. Aviles also enjoys teaching people how to play the game and loves to see when people learn the game he loves and enjoys.

Other things Aviles likes to do during his free time is playing board games whenever he gets the chance. Aviles also used to produce music for 10-15 years of his life. He produced 2 albums for an artist and also did audio engineering.

Teaching was never Aviles first option though, he attended college to become a band instructor and when he showed up for an audition he did not own an instrument at the time and he was looking to rent one but he was told by the teacher that he does not belong in the class.

He decided to be an optometrist but one bad day in class he accidentally failed an experiment and it ended in a crucial disaster. The teacher wasn't paying attention to what was going on before then and after told Aviles that he doesn't belong there and that he needed to leave.

Later on he decided to go to Calculus 2 and he wrote 6 pages of notes to figure out the volume of a tomato can. This was not what Aviles wanted to do and so he calmly got up to leave but the teacher pointed him out and said that he was the reason that college was not for everyone. Unfortunately he was getting this from everywhere and he was very upset

One day he went to church and he sat behind a kid who has multiple disabilities but he always knew them. That day Aviles thought that the world is so tough and hard but that the kid kept on smiling and was joyful. That's when he realized that the stresses he was putting on himself may not have been as important as he thought them to be.

Aviles learned that helping others was his specialty so he switched his major into special education and that's when he realized that he wanted to become a teacher. If Aviles had one piece of advice to give out to students it would be to understand that they are valuable and to not translate success to value because they are two separate things, every kid should feel valuable and loved no matter what. 

The next teacher we interviewed is Fountain Inn High School’s Keith Humphrey. He is from South Carolina and was born and raised in Fountain Inn. He has a twin brother and owns a dog. He graduated from South Carolina State University. Humphery helps the students in special education and also coaches the FIHS football team.

Humphery is now teaching  his second year at FIHS but has been with the football program since the start of the team. He enjoys coaching football and his favorite thing about it is getting to see some of the athletes he's coached in rec football go up all the way into high school football which is something he sees a lot as he's been coaching rec football for a while.

Humphery's mother is who inspired him to be a teacher, and education has always been his first choice. 

“You can relate to [the students] more and they are more mature.” Humphery said when ask about teaching High Schoolers.

He chose to be a teacher at FIHS not only for the football team but also because he was born and raised in Fountain Inn.

A fun fact about Humphery is that if he wasn't a teacher he would be a waterboy or any helpful position in the Atlanta Falcons because he is a big Falcons fan. He also coaches rec and high school football back to back, coaching football is a big part of his life apart from teaching.

“Amazing love working with him!” Humphery said about working with Aviles.

Lastly we interviewed someone who is more than just a teacher. He is a football coach and the track coach here at FIHS. Kee Robinson! This year is Robinson's first year teaching. Robinson attended college at Southern Wesleyan University.

“It was coaching high school kids and also just being a teacher on the side helps students be good and try to make them go to college and be successful in life,” Robinson teaches the special education students and he is also a substitute whenever he is needed in FIHS. 

“To become a role model. Not just being a coach just being a role model to these kids.” Robinson said when asked about goals he wanted to achieve.

“Coach Redmond. He is the reason why I got this job because of track and he’s always teaching me life goals and how to prepare to become a teacher not just to become a teacher but to also become an adult.” Robinson said in response to being asked who his inspiration is.

“To communicate with the students and get a good relationship with them and also indoor so that the kids get smarter and get better at what they want to do.” is what Robinson said his favorite part of the job was.

Each of these teachers have their own special focus inside and outside of the classroom, but combined they make monumental impact and meaningful contributions to all of us here at FIHS.

  Psychology: Truths or Lies 

By Jordon Martin

In the world of memory: from time, events, hours, minutes; from the least important things to the most important, “the mind has a 30 second ratio to keep in the information we receive or completely get rid of that information.” That makes me question “how would anyone ever think of teaching such a complex subject just like that?”

For Justin Ingold, there are many things that draw him to teaching the subject of Psychology. Teacher by day, football coach by night, Ingold explains the reasons for his passions. 

In class he talks about many different units. The one piece of information that seems to cross my mind every time is when Ingold taught our class what you previously read: “our mind has a 30 second ratio to keep in the information we receive or completely get rid of that information.” 

Psychology is such a complex subject that takes years of dedication. While Ingold did not initially have the passion for teaching that he now has, he shows us his own journey of development. 

“I went into education to coach. Coaching was my real passion. After I got married and had kids, I began to put a lot more into teaching. When I first got to college, I wanted to be an attorney. Truth be told, I was very immature and did not have the study and organizational skills to climb that mountain,” Ingold said.

When talking about his love for teaching it all circles back in some way to AP Psychology and how it is an interesting subject, but it's also a class that can be challenging in many ways. 

"Some adjustments that students have to make in the AP class are that you can do retakes, but you can only get a 60, there are more minor grades than major, if you get a major it's either 1 or 2 and there are no curves to an exam,” Ingold said

The AP Psychology seems to be disputed on half of the student body enjoying it, and the other half wishing they had never taken it.

 “students either love it or hate it and no matter what they say it's a very controversial class when talking about AP Psychology,”  Ingold said.

Ingold’s perspective on the AP exams reflects the pressures that any teachers can feel, but especially AP teachers who could feel if their students don't do well in the course that its a result of their teaching. 

“I don’t believe anyone ‘fails’ the exam. If you get to that point, you have accomplished something great. I try to stress that point to students. Generally, it’s about 50/50 between those getting a three, four, and five, and those getting a one or a two,” Ingold said. 

Linda Carrera Vazquez, a junior at Fountain Inn High School argued her side of this contreversy.

“My opinion on AP is that it's an easy class, but honestly the test can be quite hard if you don't study. They are easy for me; I can't say for other students but one thing I dislike is the fact that if you can retake a test you can only get up to a 60 which [in my opinion] is absolutely ridiculous. Along with the long test, it sometimes feels like we aren't given enough time to study; or when you study for the test, it feels like what you studied for in the first place is never on the test at all,” Carrera Vazquez said.

While learning the routine of a college-level course can be  frustrating, there are some positives.,       Now Hannah Bomar, a sophomore who is currently taking AP Psychology had her talked about her experience with the class this far. 

"This class obviously is not the easiest class I have taken, but it is  the most intriguing class I have taken.  Everyday I come in there I learn something new and interesting. I get to learn things I wouldn't learn taking a regular elective class. For example we have learned about Developmental Psychology and how it focuses on human growth and changes across the lifespan, including physical, cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality and emotional growth but a negative that i took away from this unit was that. Younger children are not able to communicate with researchers, or to understand difficult experimental tasks,” Bomar said.

Ingold has a wide range of content to choose from for his curriculum. When attempting to engage his students; sometimes his fondest memories come from those experiences. 

“We did a unit on fear response when I was at Eastside. I very loudly dropped a book on a desk without telling a young lady while she was taking notes. She almost started crying. She was a sophomore and when she graduated, she jokingly said some not-so-nice words to me! She wasn’t at all angry, but I didn’t realize how much that had scared her,” Ingold said.

Ingold has appeared to have many fun moments in his life, but also in his teaching career. Coach Anson Cunningham enjoys working with Coach Ingold. 

“He is one of the hardest working coaches on the coaching staff. For example, Coach Ingold is usually the first person at the school and the last person to leave after washing the team laundry. Coach is an optimistic guy, who can see the good in people. He is a joy to work with because of his great personality,” Cunningham said.

Ingold is an inspirational addition to Fountain Inn. 

“I enjoy bringing things to students' attention that they have a real interest in. Psychology is a subject that every student can relate to in many ways. And I enjoy teaching AP because it's a fun class to teach yes it can be complex sometimes but for the most part it's always easy to teach students and to help them because you never know if a kid is struggling personally, internally, or in school, it's not the grades that define a student but a student themselves.”

The Secrets of a Bookkeeper 

Keeping the Structure Organized 

By Dacia Shell

Bookkeeping isn’t as easy as people think it is, many people just view it as organizing but it has a lot to do with categorizing and staying after school for long hours. Other than keeping track of finances, they're also responsible for monitoring the school accounts of students to see if they have anything missing payments and overall just controls all general funds. 

Elizabeth Suchenski, bookkeeper at Fountain Inn High School has been doing her job for quite awhile now and she enjoys it. She's grateful that she has the opportunity to work at FIHS.

“I’ve been a bookkeeper with Greenville County Schools for 5 years. Before that, I was a bookkeeper for 6 years at South Point High School in Rock Hill School District. I love working at FIHS, it's like family,” Suchenski said.

Suchenski has gotten to know other staff and she highly appreciates just how amazing everyone is. Especially if she calls the staff, family. 

People who work with Suchenski often enjoy having her around. Mrs. LeAnne Hines sees Suchenski almost everyday and because of this, they've gotten the chance to form a strong bond. Based on how much they get along, people can tell they've been working together for a while.

“Mrs. Suchenski has a wonderful personality and if she got the chance to be around more students, I’m sure they would adore her," LeAnne said.

It is clear that they have spent much much time together as you can tell by their strong bond and their kind words towards Suchenski.

When asked about how she would describe Mrs. Suchenski, she said “She is very hard working, kind, trustworthy, patient, helpful, and great at what she does.  She loves Jesus, her family, and her friends and makes that apparent in her life. There isn’t one bad thing that I could actually say about her now that I think about it ” LeAnne said.

It’s good to have a wonderful reputation in which everyone views you as an awesome person to the point where there’s nothing bad to say about that person. 

More friends of Suchenski had amazing things to say about her. A certain coworker described how she's known Suchenski for three years, working with her since Fountain Inn High School first opened.

“We love playing jokes on each other. Last Christmas, I wrapped her entire office in wrapping paper. The look on her face when she came to work was priceless.” 

Their fun dynamic is due to the fact that they often joke around and can be found hanging out with each other, further expressing their tight bond and amazing friendship. 

“[Mrs. Suchenski] is very kind, an amazing friend and a dedicated hard worker. I also see her as a jokester.” 

It’s nice to see that these people not only see each other as co-workers but they see themselves as friends and family as well. 

Ms. Hines: The Amazing School Secretary