Mar 30 2009
Jan 21 2009
by Monica Jacob and Megan Shudde
From being chased down by a wild boar to working with Post-Traumatic Stress victims in a ward after the Vietnam War, Mrs. Stevens provides a wide range of experience when teaching her students. A “flavorful” life best describes what Mrs. Lisa Stevens, the new U.S. History teacher at Communications Arts High School, brings to the classroom.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin, into a large family, Mrs. Stevens learned to be an independent and strong woman. Her father worked for the governor of Wisconsin as an engineer on his personal team. Because this was the time when “women were not accepted in the work field,” Mrs. Stevens’ mother stayed at home and took care of her along with her two older sisters.
As far as jobs are concerned, Mrs. Stevens could list hers for hours. She first started out working in a hospital and cleaning the nursery ward. From there, Mrs. Stevens joined the military as a Psychiatric Technician. “I went into the recruitment office and asked to see every uniform from every different branch. Then, I tried them on to see which color looked best on me. (The verdict: green) So I joined the army!” says Mrs. Stevens laughing as she recounts old memories.
It was in the army where Mrs. Stevens met her husband. Soon after, she left the service to become a military wife in order to raise their two young boys. She home-schooled them for five years until a school opened up on base where Mrs. Stevens worked as a substitute teacher. In addition, Mrs. Stevens worked as an aerobics instructor, an archivist at a museum, as well as a supplemental instructor at a college in Louisiana. After all of this, Mrs. Stevens moved to San Antonio, where she attended college at UTSA.
Before Comm. Arts, Mrs. Stevens worked at an “inner city” charter school and from there moved to Keystone Academy, a college preparatory school in the Monte Vista neighborhood of San Antonio near downtown
In this 2008-2009 school year, Mrs. Stevens has joined the Comm. Arts family, succeeding the beloved Mr. Bigelow. Although the entire Comm. Arts population is devastated by the loss of such a talented individual, Mrs. Stevens has brought a fresh teaching style to the US History AP class.
When asked why she chose history, Mrs. Stevens replied quickly, “I love history. It’s what I have my Masters degree in. I like knowing where we’re from and where we’re going.”
After receiving the job at Communications Arts High School, Dr. Folks, the NISD superintendent, told her, “Welcome to the Promised Land.”
“All of the students at this school want to be here and want to learn, they are very respectful. There is no stress. I come into work smiling everyday and I leave work smiling. You can see the ambition in these kids that will take them farther in the future.”
Mrs. Stevens refers to herself as a very “animated” person. She says that she wants parents to feel at ease because their children are in good hands. “I’m going to prep them for college so that they are a step ahead of other students. It’s always easier when you have that advantage.” Comm. Arts is happy to welcome this new teacher.
We hope that she will enjoy her experience here as she imparts knowledge and skills that will contribute to the success of her students.
