As a child, Amanda Brown liked to line up her Barbies and teach them. She pretended to grade papers and had an unconscious sense that teaching was her future. But, as she grew, she found math came very easy to her and decided accounting was a better route.
At the end of her freshman year at North Carolina Central University, Amanda told her grandmother things just didn’t feel quite right. “Callings don’t leave,” her grandma replied. “Get yourself together and do what you’re supposed to do.” This loving challenge was just what she needed to follow her heart.
According to Amanda, “It’s necessary to learn the skill of surrender. Life is not about you. I think that’s why I like NHA’s moral compass that we instill in our kids – giving them wisdom and discernment. Our kids can talk through choices.
It’s really important to make sure they have the moral character and academic readiness for when they go out into the world.” It’s how Amanda was raised, and it’s the ethos of her leadership at Summit Creek.
She began her teaching career during her senior year of college. She was student teaching for fifth grade when the teacher left, allowing her to step into the role. But, when the next year started, all the positions were filled and she was left looking.
Amanda ended up following a mentor (her assistant principal at the time) to National Heritage Academies and hasn’t looked back. She later received her master’s from Western Governor’s University in Educational Leadership and went on to finish doctoral studies, as well.
“I believe all of these little moments have prepared me for this moment. I’m so excited to pour all I’ve learned into this role, to help our students experience love, positivity, and a ‘make it happen’ attitude. Our goal is to capture hearts and minds first to make an impact. We’re focused on leading from the heart. The success of our staff and scholars is my success too.”
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of over 95 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 60,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
Visit Summit Creek Academy's blog to read more stories like this.