New Straughn Elementary third grade teacher Christa Holley is excited about fulfilling what she feels is God’s calling on her life.

Holley will be one of five third grade teachers and will teach language arts and spelling.

Holley joins a team of third grade teachers that she said are extraordinary people.

She said she believes their work together will successfully shape the third grade class and prepare them properly for moving on to greater things.

“I’ve always had a special place in my heart for children and learning. I’ve felt like this was God’s plan for me for a long time, and it’s nice to see His work in my life come to fruition.”

Holley graduated from Andalusia High School and Troy University before interning at Straughn in the fall of 2016. She was also a long-term substitute teacher last semester at SES.

“I knew this was the place for me,” Holley said of Straughn.

Straughn held orientation on Friday, where Ms. Holley’s door was wide open welcoming students and parents with a smile to her decorated classroom.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the students as individuals and building a lasting relationship with them. I would like to be someone that they feel they can come to with anything, even after they leave my classroom as fourth graders and beyond,” she said.

Covington County Schools students return to class on Monday.