Since the departure of some of Leesville’s English teachers this year, the school has welcomed two replacements into the department. New this semester are Kyle Goodson and Andrew Brennan.
Mr. Goodson, who joined the Leesville staff in March, was born in Boston but raised in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. His desire to teach English stemmed from his own love for the subject.
“Some things that inspired me to become a teacher are the opportunity to work with students, my love for reading and writing, and the chance to coach high school athletes,” said Goodson in an e-mail interview.
After discovering he wanted to teach, Goodson went on to earn his undergraduate from The University of North Carolina and his master’s from North Carolina State. He then student-taught at Knightdale High School. His first teaching job was at Jordan High School in Durham, where he taught many different levels of English.
So far, Goodson is thoroughly enjoying his time at Leesville.
“The experience here at Leesville has been excellent. The school is managed well, and the students are great…I hope that I can become a more integral part of the school community and get involved in coaching, clubs, and other extracurricular activities,” said Goodson.
In addition to getting more involved in the Leesville community, Goodson hopes to have a lasting impact on his students.
“I hope to instill in students a desire to work hard, become goal-oriented, and ask questions of themselves and others. I want students to enjoy their time with me but, more importantly, learn a lot about reading and writing,” said Goodson.
Also new to the English department is Mr. Brennan, who joined Leesville in February. Brennan grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and only recently moved to North Carolina. His inspiration to teach originated from his own teachers and the impact they had on him.
“My inspiration for becoming an English teacher was the great learning experiences I had in English classrooms as a kid. Many of my favorite teachers and role models as a high school and college student were my English teachers,” said Brennan in an e-mail interview.
In order to pursue a teaching career, Brennan attended Albion College in Michigan and received an undergraduate degree in English. He then attended Earlham College in Indiana, where he earned his graduate degree in education. After finishing college, Brennan taught English in both Indiana and New York shortly before making the move to North Carolina.
Like Goodson, Brennan is enjoying being a part of the Leesville family.
“My experience thus far at Leesville has been wonderful! My favorite part of each day is the people — everyone has been extremely welcoming and helpful. Even though I’ve only been here for seven weeks, it’s already starting to feel like home,” said Brennan.
Brennan also hopes to both inspire his students and other administrators in a positive and constructive manner.
“My goal at Leesville is to add something to the learning community…I hope that my contributions to the school will benefit my students, coworkers, and the community as a whole. I [also] hope that I can inspire my students to put forth their best,” said Brennan.
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