Education

• Bachelor’s degree in middle-grade education from the University of Georgia
• Master’s degree in reading and literacy from Walden University

Responsibilities  

• Learning specialist 
• Help students meet their social, emotional, and academic needs

Background

• Taught 8th grade English for 31 years
• Flight attendant for three years
• Cheer coach for 24 years

Starr’s Mill welcomes learning specialist Kelly Evans to the Panther family. Evans previously worked at Rising Starr Middle School before becoming a flight attendant. 

“When I was a flight attendant, I did like it, but it wasn’t my passion,” Evans said. “Teaching was my passion.”

After retiring from 30 years of teaching, Evans is back. After she retired, Evans became a flight attendant for Delta until the COVID-19 pandemic. She then left her job at Delta and returned to her passion.

“When I had an opportunity to come back, I didn’t want to do the same job,” Evans said. “I wanted to challenge myself and do something different. I have a grandson who is autistic, so I decided this would be a great place for me to work and join in.”

Thanks to House Bill 385, which allows retired teachers to return back to teaching, when Evans had the option to come back to teaching and was offered a position, she took the opportunity. Evans wanted to challenge herself by trying something different such as the adjustment from teaching middle school to high school, and by changing her subject from English to special education. Even though it is a change of environment, she has enjoyed herself so far thanks to the mature atmosphere.

“I was in the office yesterday, and I told the office staff, ‘Wow, I am really loving high school’,” Evans said. “The kids are more mature [and] the level of critical thinking is much better, and that combination makes me like it.” 

Despite the fact that Evans has always been set on teaching, there were a few factors in her life that pushed her to really pursue it. She continues to have a great relationship with a previous teacher of hers, Margret Littlefield.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a teacher,” Evans said. “I had a teacher fifth-grade teacher, Margret Littlefield…just talking with her through the years and being in her class inspired me.” 

Growing up, Evans attended Fayette County High School. Her three sons went through Whitewater Middle and High Schools. 

Now that her boys are grown, she uses her free time to enjoy exercising and practicing photography.