• Graduated from Whitewater High School
• Earned a degree in health and physical science from Armstrong State University
• Inducted into softball hall of fame at Armstrong State University

Softball coach and health teacher Peyton Dean joins the Starr’s Mill Panther family after previously teaching at Rising Starr Middle School. 

Dean worked as a long-term substitute at Rising Starr for the spring semester of 2017, and then worked at Hutton County High School for two years. She returned to Rising Starr for a year, before moving to the high school over the summer.

“I’m in the health room most of the day,” Dean said. “I love to talk about those things most people don’t want to talk about, especially topics that need to be discussed in today’s society. On the flip side of it, I do get team sports, so I get paid to play fun games with kids.”

Dean’s father is a retired health teacher, and her mother still teaches health at Whitewater Middle School.

“I’d like to follow in [my mother’s] footsteps, because I’ve seen how successful she’s been, not only as a coach, but as a teacher,” Dean said.

Dean played varsity basketball while attending Whitewater High School, and proceeded to play softball for Armstrong State University. She earned a spot in the softball hall of fame at Armstrong State. Dean mentioned that softball head coach Mark Williamson is someone who inspired her while growing up.

“[Williamson] was my elementary PE teacher at Spring Hill [Elementary], and so I’ve respected him and looked up to him since I was little,” Dean said. “He’s an awesome softball coach, teacher, and person.”

After teaching at Rising Starr, she is looking forward to seeing all of her old students. 

“I think seeing all of you start as freshmen in my class, and then where you grow to be as a senior,” Dean said. “When you get to see the development and you basically see the end result as well for the most part, but I’m excited to see all these young people coming to Starr’s Mill.”