Tunstall bids farewell to eight teachers

As the school year ends, students and staff are preparing to say their bittersweet goodbyes to many different teachers.

Teachers leaving include: Mariah Blankenship, Tonya Fullerwinder-Mayo, Jacob Thompson, Tamara Poindexter, Wynetter Dixon, Ethan Brown, David Thaxton, and David Pavord.

Some will be continue teaching while others are changing their career paths altogether.

English and creative writing teacher, Ms. Blankenship, will be leaving her teacher’s desk behind after eight years to become a full-time photographer. After recently becoming a mother, she has decided to make her hobby into a career in order to spend as much time as possible with her son.

“I will miss the laughter, the poetry, the ‘good mornings,’ the books, the looks on my students’ faces when I tell them ‘you passed the SOL!’ I will miss all the little details- everything. I will miss the people that I have grown to love like family. If I say too much about how much I loved teaching here, I may just cry, so I’ll stop now,” she said.

Similar to Blankenship, Ms. Fullerwinder-Mayo will miss many aspects of Tunstall.

“I will definitely miss collaborating and conversing with some of my co-workers. Watching students succeed is always a great aspect of being a teacher. There are a few students I have grown particularly fond over the past couple of years that I will have liked to be around to see graduate. I will miss seeing them on a consistent basis, but I will definitely keep up with them to and after graduation,” she said.

During Fullerwinder-Mayo’s six years at Tunstall, she was the Career Academy instructor, mentoring program administer, Trojan Express newsletter editor/publisher, and the founder of the THS Clothes Closet. She was recently selected to be the program manager for the PCS Cyber Camp that will take place this summer.

Her new endeavor next year will allow her to learn new aspects of the education field and how to be more effective as a teacher, citizen, and person. Ms. Fullerwinder-Mayo has earned four degrees, including her masters. She believes these degrees have prepared her to work with all types of learners. Eventually, she wants to earn her certification in human resources and get her PhD. Overall, she is looking forward to a more flexible schedule and being able to better support for her daughter in extra-curricular activities.

Special Education teacher, Jacob Thompson, will be leaving Tunstall after three years to be a school guidance counselor. In his new position, he hopes to “build positive relationships with faculty and students and be a positive influence on the young adults of the community.”

On saying goodbye, Thompson said, “I will miss all the students and teachers. I have made a lot of great friends here at Tunstall and the staff is like a family to me.”

Tamara Poindexter will be transitioning to a Dan River High wildcat when August comes around.

“What I will miss most [about Tunstall] are the students I have had the honor and privilege to work with and the staff whom I’ve developed friendships,” she said.

She has taught for eight years here as a co-teacher in the English and Algebra I subjects and a resource class, which provides specialized instruction and remediation for students. Poindexter will continue with this position at Dan River.

“My hope is that I will enjoy the same educational interactions among students at Dan River that I have enjoyed while at Tunstall. As I begin this new chapter, I am looking forward to working closer to home and become more involved in the community where my children attend school,” said Poindexter.

Teacher aide, Ms. Dixon, will be retiring after teaching thirteen years. She has been at Tunstall for eight years and will miss “working with the students and making a difference in their day.”

Looking ahead to retirement, Dixon said, “I look forward to spending more time with my family and traveling.”

Ethan Brown will be saying goodbye after teaching at Tunstall second semester of this year. He will be leaving his science classes behind and returning to the business world.

Room A209 will no longer smell like coffee next year or be filled with the energy of Mr. Thaxton. After being a Trojan for seven years, he will be going back to his home state of Washington.

Similar to Thaxton, Mr. Pavord will not only be leaving Tunstall, but Virginia, too.

Mr. Pavord is going to spend the first semester in Finland with his sick mother-in-law and family, but plans to return back to Tunstall for the second half of the school year. While away, Pavord said he will miss coaching for the cross country season.

He has visited Finland many times before so he is familiar with their culture and language.

“There’s a possibility that I might actually teach there,” Pavord said.

Although these teachers will be missed, they will be continuing into new and exciting chapters of their lives.