Educator Spotlight: Ms. Kerrie Thatcher
Ms. Kerrie Thatcher, Science and Special Education Coordinator at JMA is living life to the fullest. She has been teaching for 19 years and will have 20 years “under her belt” at the end of the school year. She has had a great experience in her career and loves to teach her students. She is close to family, friends, and colleagues with whom she works with everyday. Here is a peek into her hopes and dreams, along with her past and present accomplishments.
Thatcher went to college in Odessa, Texas and has an Associates Degree in Applied Science for Sports and Athletic Training. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology at the University of Texas Permian Basin where she also worked as a student athletic trainer intern. She was a Licenced Athletic Trainer in Texas for 10 years. Kerrie says she likes science because “Science explains things” and that she enjoys building structures as well as “Blowing things up.” She started her teaching career in 1998.
Thatcher went to Carlsbad High School and says that school was just “ A means to play sports.” She participated in Track, Soccer, and Basketball and enjoyed learning in classes such as Science, learning Latin, and psychology. Kerrie also says she and her parents moved from Texas to Carlsbad when she was two years old and she left for 20 years to go to school and teach. She returned in 2011 and has worked at JMA ever since.
When she was looking for a teaching job through the Carlsbad School District she was called by JMA for an interview. She remembers that the school chose her and she loves the family-oriented environment. Kerrie also said that she loves the students and staff members at the school, even though sometimes they can be challenging. She says “Challenges are a part of life and help us grow as teachers, and individuals!”
At home, Thatcher said she has one dog named Blade, and had to put her oldest companion named Jedi Master Windu to rest in April of this year. She also says her relationship with her family is very strong. “We have a love for Disney, work hard and depend on each other, as well as having strong conversations. We all have similar faith as well.” They are also passionate about sports, especially football.
Her favorite childhood memory was when she was camping with her family, but they could not start a fire due to rain. She said her father became frustrated and yelled “Why won’t you just rain?!?” It started to rain very heavily, resulting in the family leaving the campground. They all cried because “Daddy made it rain.”
Thatcher has been influenced by nine U.S. presidencies, but her favorite one would be that of Ronald Reagan’s term. She says that he helped the nation through a time of need. Kerrie stated that her favorite book was The Hobbit because of the action and adventure Bilbo Baggins went through. Her dream vehicle is an older truck that is restored and personalized to her style. Her favorite vacation spot is in New Zealand because most of the land is untouched by human hands.
Kerrie Thatcher is a wonderful lady and great teacher at JMA. In the years to come, we can only hope that the best will be brought to her and her career. She would like to tell her younger self to breathe because most of what we stress over doesn’t happen. We could all take some of her advice and just breathe for a moment. Her career has been a long one, but she is just getting warmed up. Hopefully, Kerrie will earn 20 more years of excellence!
