Rolling into Roberson by MADALYNAHMAD

Staff Writer

New teachers join T.C Roberson’s staff

PICTURED: PICTURED:
MEREDITHLOWE RUTHHULLETT
photo/MADALYN AHMAD/ photo/MADALYN AHMAD/
goldenfleece goldenfleece

F
resh faces are seen around T.C. Roberson in the form of new lett, a graduate and former teacher at McDowell High School, has
teachers as another school year begins. begun teaching marketing and business classes here at Roberson
That includes Mrs. Meredith Lowe, a Roberson alumni this year. While she loves her job now, teaching was not always
and graduate from Meredith College who now teaches in Fami- what Hullett imagined she would do one day.
ly and Consumer Sciences. She is happy to be back at her Alma “My mother was a teacher and when I became a teacher, she
Mater and see how the school has changed over time. had a laugh because she said that when I was in high school she
“There’s still a ton of school spirit and camaraderie which I love asked me what I wanted to do and I was like, “I don’t care what I
about Roberson. There’s so much pride through the students and do, but I will never be a teacher!” So, she obviously thought that
the faculty, like hearing, “Go rams!” after every announcement. was hilarious. When I moved back to McDowell from living in
They definitely didn’t do that when I was in high school. I just New York City, I was just trying to figure out what I was going
think it’s grown, the amount of students. It was still a really big to do. It was obviously going to be an industry change. Two
school when I was here but it’s definitely more diverse. There are friends of mine that worked in the school system both said, “Well,
way more class options and things like that than when I was here. there’s a job at McDowell High School and you should consider
I’m just happy to see new sports teams coming about, and more it because of your experience in marketing.” That’s kind of how it
and more clubs opportunities for students because we still had happened,” Hullett said.
those but now it just seems like it’s doubled honestly,” As Hullett entered her unexpected career in education,
Lowe said.
Lowe is not only excited to see large-scale growth in she found refreshment in the uniqueness that comes day
the school overall. She also aspires to watch her students “I love just to day from working with adolescents.
grow in the classroom. building “I like that every day is a little bit different. That
“I love just building relationships with students. I love appeals to my creative nature and I like seeing when the
realtionships students learn something new and they get it and they’re
being able to see those lightbulb moments go off when with
we’re going over something and they’re like “Huh?” But able to turn it into a project or reteach it to somebody
then we work through it and they’re like, “Oh my gosh! students.” or something like that. Somebody wiser than me once
I’ve finally got it. That’s awesome!” Or just to see how said that if you want to stay young, you need to hang
Ruth Hullett out with the youth because they’re the ones that always
proud kids are when they do something that’s really
challenging. That’s really awesome, just building those know what’s up and coming and whatever the new trends
relationships, seeing those lightbulb moments, seeing are. They just have a different perspective on the world,”
how proud the kids are of projects because we do a lot of Hullett said.
projects,” Lowe said. Hullett loves teaching Entrepreneurship I, Sports and Enter-
Lowe currently teachers Interior Design 1 and 2 as well as a tainment Marketing I, and Principles of Business and Finance
section of Child Development. She recommended these classes to because she thinks they are the perfect blend of building profes-
those interested in one day going into an entry-level position or sionalism and leadership traits, using creativity every day, and
internship in those fields. learning skills needed to be successful in future work settings.
“In all of those classes, it is life skills. I think all of us are going “Business and Marketing classes in general are important
to interact with a child at some point in their life. As well as because you are either going to create your own business or you
hopefully, you want to have a home or an apartment or something are going to work for somebody else. I think it’s important to un-
one day. I love that I can tell every single student that walks in my derstand the workings of a business and how to navigate different
room that this will apply to your life at some point. I love to be settings and different situations. It’s important to understand how
able to say that and own that. This is going to influence your life at marketing drives almost everything we do nowadays. So Sports
some point. It may not be right now on this Thursday, but at some and Entertainment Marketing is sort of a specific sub-set of mar-
point, you are going to utilize a skill that you learned in Interior keting, but nonetheless, it still shows students how they don’t even
Design or Child Development down the road. Maybe it will be know when they’re being advertised to or marked to. It’s just such
next year when you are remodeling your house. So I really love a part of our everyday life. I think it’s important for students to
being able to say that. I love just how hands-on the classes are, not learn these different skills,” Hullett said.
just mine, but CTE in general too. I would recommend kids who Using only three words, Hullett would describe herself as cre-
love that hands-on visual aspect, like getting in there and getting ative, sarcastic, and professional.
to do stuff, that they definitely sign up for our class. If they like “I feel like I am creative and my previous work experiences
to be creative and drawing, this is a great place to be able to show required creativity. So I would use that. Sarcastic because I like
those skills off and even grow those skills too,” Lowe said. to laugh. I like to have a good time. I try to be as professional as
Lowe is not the only new CTE teacher this year. Ms. Ruth Hul- possible even though we are in school, not a finance or business
industry. I require that of my students as well,” Hullett said.
06 | October2021 // GOLDENFLEECEONLINE.COM Graphics & Design | Madalyn Ahmad