Longtime educator Ann Terry is retiring after 40 years in the Warren County School System. She has been the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America advisor for 24 of those years.
“I really enjoyed teaching,” said Terry. “Every day was a memorable moment. Working with the students was wonderful. They surprise you every day. I’m going to miss them.”
She began her teaching career in 1973 as a science teacher at the junior high school. Terry says she remembers her first year of teaching, but not because of fond memories.
“My first year was the year the old Central High School burned down,” said Terry. “It was being used as the junior high. In my first year, the school burned.”
She spent 16 years in junior high. Today, she teaches Family and Consumer Science at the high school, an introductory class for students wanting to enter culinary arts or careers with children.
Over the last quarter century, changes have taken place with FCCLA.
“It was just a club at the high school,” said Terry. “We would do things in the community. We have only been competing for the past 15 years.”
In the last few years, competition has members bringing home dozens of national gold and silver medals.
“When they won one, they started working really hard to bring their standards up to continue winning,” said Terry. “The students have worked really hard. I’m so proud of them. We’ve had some really good students.”
FCCLA continues to be active in the community with programs such as Traveling Pants, where members collected and distributed new or gently used pants to individuals in the community, and Cans for Kids, where members collected nonperishable food items for distribution.
Terry’s future plans are to volunteer and travel, while FCCLA will be overseen by its remaining advisors Suzanne Prater, Connie Bell and Steven Knopfke.