At the beginning of the school year, West High welcomes many new staff members, including the newest fine arts teacher, Samantha Helton.
Helton graduated from East High School . She then went on to get a Bachelor's degree at East Tennessee State University. Later, she went on to get a Master’s degree at Walden University. For Helton, school was a place where it felt safe and consistent. She mentions, “I have always wanted to offer safe consistency to students.”
Helton’s family includes her husband and her two kids - one boy and one girl. Helton says, “They are my whole world - the accomplishment I'm most proud of.” Helton’s kids are involved with many sports/activities so she spends a lot of time in athletic fields. Helton talks about how she and her family live on a farm and have several animals. Helton states, “ we also like to camp, hunt, fish, and go four-wheeling.” She also explains that at the top of her list in foods is Emma's Asian 1.
This school year, Helton is looking forward to a good year. She comments, “I am looking forward to being a part of the Trojan Nation and watching some of my students that I have known since their 6th grade year grow into smart, hardworking young adults.” A quote Helton goes by is, ‘"The best things in life are not things."
The main advice Helton has for students is that everything is earned by hard work and practice. Helton quotes, “ Every new skill or task seems difficult at first, but don't give up, put in practice, and eventually it will be easy.”