Sarah Porter is one of our newest math teachers in Musselman High School. She’s an avid lover of music, sushi, and family.

In January of this year, she began her teaching career in math, teaching Algebra and Geometry. Her knowledge of math actually comes from her unexpected previous occupation – in a chemistry lab. She applied math often while working there due to formulas, equations, and data which all required extensive knowledge on the subject.

She attended college for environmental sciences, enabling her abilities in the lab. It wasn’t until 2015 when she had her son that she gave up her job at the lab to care for him. She found a certain joy in caring for him, feeling as if it was the right thing to take time with him. She considered returning to the lab, though the restricting work times would limit the time she had with her son. This is when she began working toward earning a teaching license. She attended West Liberty to continue her education. Since teaching and educating youth brought joy to her life, it seemed like the best choice of work for both her and her son. After acquiring the license, all that was left was to find somewhere to work. Musselman at the time was looking for new hires, and for Porter this was the start of something great. They got in contact, and Musselman offered a teaching position in the math department.

While all seemed well, just before her decision was made, she was met with heartbreaking news. Her father had passed, which brought a somber halt to her life. Although it was difficult to push through, she managed to keep herself together for the sake of her son and those who needed her. She accepted the job at Musselman, using her hardships and struggles as motivation for her teaching.

So far, Sarah Porter has described her time at Musselman as very positive. She inspires the students she teaches, a product of hardship that she overcame. She doesn’t regret leaving the lab to teach, saying she feels “welcomed, and valued” at Musselman. She’s sure that her dream career is still in education, possibly a professor or tutor. She sees her peer teachers as family in the PLC, and is thankful for the help she received as a new teacher. Influencing the youth of Musselman is important to Porter; her goal is to inspire those who are lost, and to be a figure of hope for every student she teaches.