It Takes a Village

Joey Ancel, Class of 2021

On his first day of preschool, Joey Ancel '21 came home and said to his family, "I want to be a teacher when I grow up!" He would oftentimes force his family to play school so he could pretend to be a teacher. That passion never faded and now his dream has come true - and this time it wasn't make believe!

On Wednesday, August 18, 2021, Joey walked into Troy Hofer Elementary School to enjoy his first day of school...as a teacher (yes, a real one!)

Joey left the first day of his teaching career not only feeling excited for the future, but also grateful for the past. He sat at his computer and began to write an email...

"You are receiving this email because each and every one of you made some sort of impact on my life at some point during my educational journey and I can only hope to make these kinds of impacts on my students as they enter my classroom. Whether you were my teacher, principal, nurse, secretary, lunch lady, professor, colleague, friend, mentor, administrator, etc., you have inspired me to join this crazy world of education and I am forever grateful. It truly takes a village to run a school!"

After one day on the job, Joey recognized the important role every person he had encountered played in his journey to pursue his calling, including many faculty and staff members from Lewis University.

For Joey, being a teacher is a very rewarding profession. And Lewis was a place that fostered his passion to pursue it.

"I learned the importance of loving the job and loving the students. The work I do as a teacher leaves an important impact on the lives of my students, just as so many at Lewis did for me. Each person on that email made a difference in my life - and I wanted them to know. Whether it is in the classroom, in a counseling center, in the lunch line, or on the walk to school - every person plays a vital role. I love being a teacher, but I know I cannot do my job without the important work of so many others. I hope to be a good role model and do work that will allow my students today to come to that realization in the future themselves."

Joey graduated from Lewis University with a B.A. in Elementary Education in 2021 before starting his career as a second-grade teacher this past summer. He is excited for this chapter in his life and looks forward to inspiring tomorrow's leaders throughout his new journey as a teacher.