By Kate Hamilton, Social Media Editor

As a teacher, you have the opportunity to teach many students and impact their lives. It’s a job that takes patience, effort and a warm heart. English teacher Amy Powell has all the qualities and a great passion for helping her students reach their full potential. But, after teaching for nearly 28 years, Powell has said her goodbyes and left First Flight for retirement. 

With news of Powell retiring circling the community, many students and staff were sad to hear of her departure during the fall semester. Powell has been a great teacher to many students over the years and made many close friends with the staff.

“Amy Powell is an advocate for both teachers and students, and will always be a part of the heart of First Flight High School,” said English teacher and friend Hunter Will.

Powell didn’t always plan to be a teacher. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to major in journalism. She was involved in sports journalism and sports publicity with the Yackety Yack, The Tar Heel, and was an intern in the Athletic Communications department.

“While it was exciting and memorable, it was also a bit depressing and indicative of the times because the other females and I were not treated with the same professional or personal respect that would certainly cause some lawsuits today,” Powell said. “The odd and grueling hours made me realize that I might not want to pursue that route as a career.”

After deciding that journalism wasn’t her pathway, she went back to school and later taught English for one year. Powell then went to visit a former college roommate in Washington, DC, and saw an ad for a position in an educational publishing department of a nonprofit foundation and applied.

She got the job and wrote textbooks and teacher’s guides for a year for social studies. Although she enjoyed being in DC, it was expensive to live there. She then later applied for a job at Manteo High School in January of 1995.

“I started second semester the same time I met the guy whom I’d later marry, and never left the beach or the profession,” Powell said.

Powell has always had the best interest of her students. She has wanted them to try their best and learn from their mistakes. Powell has inspired students to not only work harder in school, but to take what they learn in school and apply it to their lives.

“She taught me that no matter what you are writing about or doing, there is always room for improvement,” junior Lauren Hughes said. “Not only will I use this in other classes, I will carry this with me throughout my life. Even if I fail at my first shot at something, I can work harder to acknowledge and fix my mistakes.”

Not only has she looked out for her students, Powell has brought many smiles and laughter into her classroom. Students have praised her for her rapping skills, dance moves and jokes.

“If I had to describe her in one word it would be ‘goofy’, ” senior Wynn Gardner said. “When I had her last year, a couple friends and I would joke around in there and she would usually just joke around with us.”

Powell was also very involved with the school. She attended countless First Flight men’s soccer games. Powell was  dedicated to the program when her son was on the team, and continued to support the team as the years have gone by.

Powell said probably one of her proudest accomplishments at FFHS was starting the Poetry Out Loud program. Powell taught with Julie Osmon at Manteo High School, and when Osmon started Poetry Out Loud at Manteo, she asked Powell to get it rolling at FFHS. Osmon died just a few years later and Powell worked hard to keep the program going in her memory. Eventually, FFHS came to be recognized by the National Endowment of the Arts for having the greatest participation in a school in North Carolina.

“It made me happy to know that there were some kids in the school who might not participate in some other things, but they really embraced Poetry Out Loud and it became their passion,” Powell said. “I hope that when school is back in session someone will pick up the mantle, and I’ll come back and judge this time.”

First Flight students and staff appreciate the impact Powell has had on their lives and wish nothing but the best for her as she enters this new stage of her life.

“I loved going to her class because I knew that I would be able to talk to Mrs. Powell and actually learn something new. She made learning interesting and she was always there if you had any questions,” Hughes said. “Everyone has that one teacher whom they adore and enjoy; Mrs. Powell was that teacher for me.”

Junior Kate Hamilton can be reached at [email protected].