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Roles-Walter graduated from LCHS, then from Motlow State Community College. The next phase of her education pointed to her calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Appalachian Center for Crafts is an actual art school tucked away on Center Hill Lake. I toured the campus with my mom, tried it for a semester, and fell in love with it. I lived on campus, and one day while I was walking the trails, I was praying about what to do next and felt very compelled to enter art education,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was as surprised as anyone by the answer to her prayers. \u201cI was a ring-tailed tooter at school and never thought I\u2019d be a teacher. But my teachers at Central Jr. High School were very pivotal and were great encouragers. I\u2019ve always respected educators for the difference they make in people\u2019s lives, and I pulled from that when making my decision, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roles-Walter obtained her art education degree at Tennessee Technological University due to its affiliation with the Appalachian Center for Crafts, then received her master\u2019s in art education from Alabama A&M University. Thirty post-graduate hours in studio art from a combination of Belmont University and Alabama A & M completed her studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now in her eighth year at LCHS, Roles-Walter is creativity in motion, sharing her God-given gifts with her students and the community. She joins others in reaching the community through the Fayetteville-Lincoln County Arts Center (FLCAC). Giving back has been a lifestyle modeled for her by her parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roles-Walter said, \u201cMy family has always been an example of sowing into the community. Whether selling poppies for the American Legion or volunteering for different organizations, their examples made it natural for me to want to do the same. I truly believe God uses us to help others through our gifts. I don\u2019t know where I\u2019d be without my mother\u2019s guidance anchoring me in the Lord and my father\u2019s tenacious example to never, ever give up on anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roles-Walter and others have worked tirelessly to restore the programs at the FLCAC. Her decision to get involved was again a result of prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe center\u2019s president, Jennifer Pierce, contacted me and said she\u2019d been praying about reaching out to certain people to become involved with the arts center. Many wonderful people have been a part of rejuvenating the arts center, and I just naturally fell into it with everyone all contributing in their special ways and gifts to the projects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission helped launch the center\u2019s free art activity stations, and the South Central Human Resource Agency assists by placing seniors as classroom attendants. There are stations throughout the center with weekly lessons for beginner, intermediate, and advanced participants. All materials are provided, and the classes integrate reading, processing, problem-solving, and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a child, when teachers would integrate art into the classroom, it was so exciting to me,\u201d Roles-Walter said. \u201cMrs.Cheryl Sumners did a lesson about Leonardo Da Vinci and had us write a story about why we thought she was smiling. I remember seeing my picture on the wall and being so excited. It sowed a seed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roles-Walter was named one of 10 national Prang Art Teachers of the Year for 2022. She was chosen from among 2,000 art teachers across the nation, winning Prang art materials for her art program, valued at $5,000.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy family recognized that I had an ability and constantly encouraged me. Sometimes parents fear encouraging their children with music or art because they\u2019re worried about job opportunities. But because of the many job fields in those areas, there\u2019s no reason to be afraid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think teachers are amazing. I want to continue sowing seeds like that in my students and the community. Seeing them do things in the community or seeing students thrive at the arts center just warms my heart. It\u2019s just so rewarding to see that.\u201d Jennie Roles-Walter is a seed sower indeed. GN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A CHILD STARES at the blank page. She can\u2019t remember the teacher\u2019s instructions and believes she can\u2019t draw. Only artists can do that. And she\u2019s not alone. From childhood to adulthood, it\u2019s a struggle that\u2019s not unfamiliar to most of us. Lincoln County High School (LCHS) art teacher Jennie Roles-Walter had a different experience, leading […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1015,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[25],"class_list":["post-1013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-december"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/DSC08171-2-1024x683.jpg\")
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