A recent guest of Gloria Rhodes' Career Explorations eighth grade classes was retired teacher Kay Finnell. She shared with the students the joy that being a part of the teaching profession brought her during her extensive teaching career. She followed in the steps of her mother, who taught school when teaching requirements were not what they are today in a remote school house.

Interestingly, because her mother had no one to sit with her young daughter, Kay, her mother was allowed to take her to school with her - hence, Finnell's first pre-school experience!

Finnell also addressed some of her accomplishments following retirement from the Wilkes County School system as an accomplished language arts teacher. As a member of the Wilkes County Board of Education, she has the best interest of all our students in mind as decisions are made that impact our schools.

One of the best things that she has experienced was the writing of her book, which details the African-American experience in Wilkes County from 1922-1970. It was her intention to inform future generations how difficult it was for Black people to get an education. She is already in the process of getting a second book published and has another one in the works. Finnell states that she wanted to write, even before she started the first grade.

Kay Finnell spoke to the Career Explorations classes at Washington- Wilkes Middle School in December. Finnell also briefly shared her experience as an entrepreneur. She and her husband, Eddie Finnell, shared in the restoration of a family home, which they converted into a bed and breakfast inn, known as the Hunter- Finnell House located on Lexington Avenue.

We want to thank Mrs. Finnell for visiting our students and for being a wonderful role model for them throughout her career and who continues to inform and educate the people of her hometown of Washington, Georgia.