“It is a secret among educators that this is the best place to work,” says Mrs. Stephanie Eakins, one of the new teachers at Camas High School. ”I really feel like I am part of something great here. The staff are amazing and being new to Camas High School, I feel supported. With the students, I feel like I have been welcomed. I like the school culture. In the halls, students make eye contact, say hello, and remember my name. These things mean a lot to me”.
Eakins has been in education for over 15 years. She started as a young mother volunteering in her children’s classroom. Being in the schools, a few days a week made her grow to love it. After volunteering she become a teacher’s assistant working in kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high schools.
“I decided to become a teacher because I want to do something meaningful,” Eakins says. Passion for special education is another reason she became a teacher. She can design a specific curriculum for those students to help them live up to the vast academic standards for them.
Some advice she would give her students is “Don’t ever give up, keep trying. Something may be hard, but you’ve got to find a way to get past that. You may find that life is a series of walls and when you hit those walls you have to climb.”
“She is an amazing teacher, she doesn’t raise her voice, and she is always nice. We like her, one hundred percent like her” said Jordan Shores, a student in her class.
She describes herself as a “workaholic” because she likes the feeling when she accomplishes something. Eakins loves being out in nature and traveling, anytime her and her husband’s schedules free up they go for drives or travel. Her love of nature is partially why she loves the Camas-Washougal area. When she has a little time on her hands she’ll go on a hike.
When asked if she will be helping with extracurricular activities, Eakins responds that currently, she wants to get the hang of Camas High School. Later she might get involved in sports and clubs. She was a volleyball, soccer, and assistant wrestling coach in her old district. She may want to get involved with the yearbook club as well.
