Posted on Friday, October 31, 2025
Lifelong LaGrange resident Molly Weatherford ’26 drew on her own experiences as a Callaway High School graduate and a LaGrange College Education major while engaging with high school students at this month’s inaugural Let’s Teach Day at West Side.
“I was able to offer a unique perspective as a commuter student to many who had never considered attending a college so close to home,” she said. “Education empowers students of all ages to achieve things they might never have thought possible. I’m extremely grateful to be a Panther and loved being able to share that pride with potential students.”
While this type of recruitment event has been done in the past, this was the first year the department has done this for multiple schools at the same time, according to Lyn Perry, Assistant Education Professor and Director of Field Experiences.
“We had a combined 28 students and three educators from the Teaching as a Profession (TAP) program at Callaway High School and LaGrange High School,” she said. “The students either intend to major in education or are interested in majoring in education.”
With a ‘Join Our Team’ theme, participants rotated through five different team huddles which were led by LC Education faculty, Education majors, Admissions and Troup County Schools Human Resources. The event also featured a welcome message from President Susanna L. Baxter, lunch and a tour of campus.
Creating an impact
Anahi Nolasco-Padilla, a bilingual student at LHS, said attending LC’s Let’s Teach Day made her even more excited to become a teacher.
“It was such a great experience because I got to meet the Education majors and hear their stories about what it’s like in the classroom,” she said. “I especially liked learning about how they connect with their students through fun and meaningful lessons, which really showed me how much passion goes into teaching. It reminded me why I want to make a difference for students one day.”
LC juniors Slade Parker and Dezmond Jones said it was inspiring to see so many high school students soaking up everything they could about pursuing a career in teaching.
“It was awesome to see them so engaged, curious and eager to learn more about teaching and the Education Department here at LaGrange College,” Parker said. “I had a blast building a relationship with those who see themselves walking in the same footsteps as me.”
“I really enjoyed interacting with the high school students and seeing their excitement about education and their future goals,” Jones said. “It reminded me why I want to become a teacher—to help others succeed and reach their full potential. Being able to guide, encourage and motivate students, especially as a positive male role model, is something I take pride in.”
A caring community
Darcie Schultz, a participant from LHS, said she instantly felt welcome the moment she stepped onto campus.
“The campus was beautiful, and the atmosphere felt positive and supportive,” she said. “I also learned about some amazing programs and opportunities for students that made me even more excited about the idea of attending. Overall, visiting LaGrange gave me a really good impression, and I could honestly see myself fitting in there.”
Setting out on a path toward becoming an educator seemed out of reach for LHS student Emilyn Scott, but she said that it all changed once she started serving as a teacher’s assistant.
“I have a really hard time learning, so it's difficult to make stuff stick,” she said. “Teachers have always been a safe space with me and they have always been like a hero in a way, but I never really thought I could be one until this year. After helping teachers in elementary schools, I really realized this is what I want to do and when I went to LaGrange College, I noticed the way everyone knew each other and realized how it's hard to find such a great welcoming community like they have there.”
What stood out most for LHS student Danbury Ochoa-Orantes was the personalized instruction at LC.
“I appreciate that there are small classes because students can build stronger relationships with their professors and get more individualized help,” she said. “I want to pursue a degree in education because I hope to make a positive difference in children's lives.”
Growing the teacher pipeline
Currently, school systems in Georgia and across the country are experiencing a shortage of teachers, according to Dr. Gretta Milam, Director of Graduate Studies, Education Chair and Professor.
“In the Occupational Outlook Handbook’s June 2025 analyses, 48 states plus the District of Columbia employed an estimated 365,967 teachers who were not fully certified for their teaching assignments,” she said. “Thirty-one states plus the District of Columbia published data on vacancies, showing 45,582 unfilled teacher positions. Together, these estimates indicate that, at a minimum, 411,549 positions were either unfilled or filled by teachers not fully certified for their assignments, representing about 1 in 8 of all teaching positions nationally.”
LC Education’s partnership with Troup County Schools opens opportunities for student interns to receive job offers upon receiving their degree, according to Dr. Milam.
“Our student interns are placed in local schools with qualified, effective teachers,” she said. “In turn, TCSS hires many of our graduates to fill vacancies each year.”
Dr. Milam said building up the teaching workforce is critical to providing students with access to quality education.
“Education is what creates a strong environment and allows all to have equal opportunities to adequate jobs,” she said. Teaching builds for the future. Without teachers, no other profession can exist.”
Sports Management Advisory Board meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 4
11 a.m., Dickson Assembly Room
Community Health Fair
Tuesday, Nov. 4
11 a.m., Caswell Plaza
National Stress Awareness Day
Tuesday, Nov. 4
11 a.m., Pitts Dining Hall
BSU Jeopardy
Tuesday, Nov. 4
8 p.m., Dickson Assembly Room
Breathe + Release: Stress Relief Yoga
Wednesday, Nov. 5
7 p.m., Jones Zone/Boopie
1-Kerry Kenner, Enrollment Management and Student Experience
2-Simon Hwang, Mathematics
5-Melvin Hall, Chemistry
10-KeJuana Campbell, Executive Leadership
15-Karen Walker, Psychological Science
16-Astra Barkley, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
18-Cire Campbell, Athletics (Cross Country & Track)
25-Paul Hammock, Music
27-Kendal Wallace, Athletics (Men’s Basketball)
28-Patti Hoxsie, Advancement
Football
The Panthers earned their fifth straight win this past weekend with a 30-14 home win over Huntingdon College, the number one pick in the USA South’s preseason poll. The team will head to Greensboro, North Carolina, to play Greensboro College in a USA South Athletic Conference showdown on Saturday, Nov. 1 (tomorrow). Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
Senior Deon King Jr. was named USA South Defensive Player of the Week. He leads the Panthers in tackles-for-a-loss with 10.0 and in sacks with 6.5.
Men's Soccer
LC’s 2025 season came to an end on Wednesday, Oct. 29, in a heart-breaking 2-1 overtime loss to Piedmont University in the quarterfinal game of the Collegiate Conference of the South playoffs.
Junior Dylan DePriest was named to the CCS All-Conference Second Team.
Senior Lucas Duke was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team.
Women's Soccer
The Panthers ended their regular season with a 1-0 loss against Albany State on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The team will enter the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) playoffs as the sixth seed, having gone 2-4-2 in league play. The Panthers will travel to Piedmont University on Saturday, Oct. 1 (tomorrow), for a 2 p.m. match against the third-seeded Lions.
Junior Anna Wright was named CCS Defensive Player of the Week. For the regular season, she started seven matches for the Panthers, posting 2.12 goals against average with a 0.735 save percentage.
Freshman Gabby Worthy was named CCS Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team.
Sophomore Jordyn Rawlings was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team.
Women's Volleyball
LC split at its Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Tri-match hosted by Covenant on Saturday, Oct. 25, falling 3-2 to the host Scots before rebounding to defeat Piedmont 3-1. The team is back on the court on Saturday, Nov. 1 (tomorrow), when they host Asbury and Wesleyan in a CCS tri-match.
Sophomore Julia Damico was named CCS Defensive Player of the Week. At last weekend’s match against Piedmont, Damico earned her 1000th career assist, becoming the first LaGrange player to reach that milestone since former LC great Lauren Sanders (Class of 2019).
Freshman Alex Krabs received her third CCS Rookie of the Week honor. She currently ranks third in the CCS with 2.96 kills per set.
(Please note that schedules may change due to circumstances beyond our control. Please check www.lagrangepanthers.com to confirm.)
Friday, Oct. 31 – Cross Country (CCS Championships), 10 a.m., Huntsville, Alabama
Saturday, Nov. 1 – Volleyball (Home) vs. Asbury, noon, Mariotti Gym
Saturday, Nov. 1 – Football at Greensboro, noon, Greensboro, North Carolina
Saturday, Nov. 1 – Volleyball (Home) vs. Wesleyan, 4 p.m., Mariotti Gym
Saturday, Nov. 1 – Women’s Soccer (CCS Quarterfinals) at Piedmont, 2 p.m., Demorest, Georgia
Retired LaGrange College professor bestowed honorary alumni award, LaGrange Daily News, Oct. 29
LaGrange College honors alumni at Homecoming, LaGrange Daily News, Oct. 29
Category: Students, Academics, Community
Keywords: Education, Outreach
