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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n“I had one student who went away to a national medical forum and sent me the nicest letter. She told me that she was so happy to have been in my class because she could hold her own with students\u00a0simple girl coming from Winchester, Tennessee, and I knew as much as the rest of them.’ That letter made a difference.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leech believes the most important quality for a teacher is liking students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If you don’t like children, you shouldn’t be a teacher,” she advised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She instilled this same philosophy in her daughter, Flatt, who was fully immersed in the world of education at a young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“When I was young, Mom was a single parent going to college. I grew up under the desks of countless college classes because the teachers were kind enough to let me be there. I would hear things and be interested,” she shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flatt\u2019s early experience in education naturally led her to a career in the field. After initially taking nursing classes at TCAT, she returned to teach anatomy and physiology. Now, as the dual enrollment coordinator, she helps high school students earn both high school and college credits while preparing for their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It’s incredibly rewarding to know that when our high school students leave one of our programs, they will be able to start a career and build their lives around that, financially,” Flatt explained. “The biggest challenge is matching students to the correct program. It comes down to talking to them and understanding their goals, then figuring out how to get them from A to B.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both Leech and Flatt see their work as part of a larger mission to improve education in Franklin County. They believe in making education accessible and relevant to all students and tailoring programs to meet individual needs and aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flatt said, “I would like to see education become something that is truly personalized, where every young person is given the tools early on to figure out what they’re good at and what they like. Let’s build on that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leech added, “When I went through school, you just went to get a degree and then tried to figure out what to do with it. Many didn’t know how to use their degrees. I think it\u2019s great that Lauren has the ability to expand on what the students are already doing.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n As she reflected on her upbringing, Flatt said she appreciated her mother’s high standards and encouragement, which ultimately led her to where she is now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “My mother never let me say ‘I can’t’ and get away with it. She always forced me to realize what\u00a0I was capable of. Critical parents that hold their children to a standard create children who hold themselves to a standard.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Flatt brings these core values to life as she engages with her students at TCAT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “The students who come through our programs don’t have a lot of debt after they leave. Between Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, and the dual enrollment grant, many of our students can attend pretty much free of charge.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Leech and Flatt are shaping the future of the community with each student they encounter. Flatt continues to ensure that Franklin County’s legacy of learning and quality education remains strong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “I have a ring that Lauren won for me with an essay she wrote in the fifth grade. The point that she made in her essay was that not only was I her mother, but I took care of a whole lot of other young people as their teacher,” Leech said proudly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Leech\u2019s and Flatt’s combined zeal for education has influenced the trajectory of countless students\u2019 careers. Leech’s prior years as a teacher and Flatt’s current work have inspired many generations of academic excellence. GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" VERONICA LEECH spent over 30 years erasing and rewriting equations on dry-erase boards in school systems. Her distinctive handwriting, and even more so her zeal for learning, are well remembered by her former students. Now, her daughter, Lauren Flatt, serves as a dual enrollment coordinator, and the same love for education continues at the Dinah […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":23261,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/franklin-county\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/10\/1-2-1024x683.png\")
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