A truly inspirational teacher only comes about a few times throughout a students’ schooling. Mother of three, months away from receiving her doctorate, and still managing to remain a beloved English teacher, Mrs. Leason is the epitome of one of these influential figures.

   When entering her class, it feels as if one should smell freshly baked cookies. “I wish my students knew that I understand them and their challenges more than they realize, because I was that quiet kid in class. I know what it feels like to be overlooked, to be misunderstood, and to have far too many worries to handle at such a young age,” she explained.

   Still to this day, Mrs. Leason understands having to balance her time between different priorities. Although her family remains the most important piece of life, she and her family have performed a balancing act and are continuing to perfect the routine.

     With this in mind, she creates an atmosphere to ensure students are comfortable to ask questions. “Each year, my students become an extension of my family; I have the same high expectations for them as I do for myself and my three sons. I passionately believe in the mantra: ‘You are more than your test scores.’”

   As AP student Sara Tuddenham portrays, “Our English class is really like a family. Mrs. Leason is such an amazing teacher and inspiration, providing a level of comfort in the classroom for everyone to relate and share personal stories when writing and during discussions. The class is a challenge, but she is always there to guide and help her students along the way.”

    Mrs. Leason radiates passion. Although her love of dark chocolate and Bon Jovi is not evident in her teaching, from Thoreau to Poe to Fitzgerald (especially The Great Gatsby), Mrs. Leason’s love of reading and writing is apparent to her students. As Mrs. Leason conveys, “Both are escapes for me. I can get lost in a great novel for hours.  I also love confronting a blank computer screen and a blinking cursor. To me, that blinking cursor is a dare; challenge accepted!”

    Her zest for life exceeds her love of teaching as she has never let the cynics win. With education in her blood, after six years of persistently pursuing her doctorate in education, she has finished her dissertation and is on track to graduate this May.

  Despite the disbelief from some that she could never succeed because of her dyslexia, Mrs. Leason explains,  “Some people view having a learning disability as a negative aspect of life. I view it as a gift. I do not believe, though, that being dyslexic has negatively affected my goals; just the opposite. I’ve had to work harder to prove “the haters” or “naysayers” wrong.”

   Amidst helping shape the next generation of original thinkers, Mrs. Leason’s mantra has yet to fail her as she begins to enter the next chapter in her life this upcoming May. “Never give up on yourself or your dreams! You can achieve anything with hard work, perseverance, and determination,” she exclaimed.