By Matt Hoover
USD 475 Communications Coordinator
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – Amber Cole’s journey to becoming a first-grade teacher at Westwood Elementary has been anything but traditional. Her impact though once she got into teaching has been nothing short of extraordinary.“Teaching at Westwood has opened my eyes to how deeply this staff is committed to students and their families. As a military family, we are familiar with constant change and the feeling of communities shifting around us. Yet at Westwood, there is a strong and steady sense of belonging that endures. The relationships, support and shared commitment here have created the consistent and caring community my family has longed for, and I am grateful to be part of it,” said Cole.
Although Cole wasn’t raised in a family of educators, her passion for working with children began early. Growing up in Omaha, Neb., Cole, whose family also farmed in Verdigre, Neb., watched as her mother opened their home to children as a foster parent, a powerful example that ultimately shaped her own desire to support and advocate for young people.
Fast forward to when Cole would become an adult herself and she and her husband, whom she met in high school, would go on to not only become a military family, moving all over the United States, but also licensed foster parents, which helped to deepen her belief that working with children is more than a career that it is a calling.“Watching my mom’s love, support and ability to advocate for children in need showed me what it truly means to care for the whole child. That experience shaped me in a profound way. Through every child who has come into our lives, I have learned that working with children is not simply something I can do; it is something I feel called to do. That same belief guides me as an educator today as I strive to create a classroom where every child feels valued, supported and seen,” said Cole, who has three boys of her own who all attend schools in USD 475.
Growing up, Cole was a competitive club gymnast who started training at the age of nine. She spent years traveling, competing, coaching and even judging gymnastics, while attending Westside High School in Omaha where she excelled in DECA and business marketing. Following her time as a Warrior, she would go on to graduate as a licensed cosmetologist in 2006, while also earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Southern New Hampshire University. Cole began her tenure in Geary County Schools USD 475 in 2017 in a moment she describes as almost accidental. As a stay-at-home mother, she found herself helping in her youngest son’s Pre-K class at Jefferson Elementary on Fort Riley when a teacher nonchalantly asked if she would like to be a lunchroom aide at the school. Her panicked response of, oh uh yeah, that sounds great, helped launch what would become nearly a decade of service to USD 475 in numerous roles, including being a lunchroom aide, early childhood instructional assistant and early childhood teaching assistant.
Despite having all those roles, she is currently in her first year of teaching at Westwood Elementary thanks to a teaching program at Kansas State University called Master of Arts in Teaching Program, which is designed for individuals who change careers and want to teach. Thanks to the program, Cole can now teach in a USD 475 classroom since she has a limited elementary residency license.“Teaching is truly the only career I have had that no matter what kind of day I had the day before that I get up in the morning and look forward to the day I get to spend in my classroom with my students,” said Cole.As you can see, Cole’s journey reminds us that educators don’t all start the same way, but once they discover where they’re meant to be, their impact is immeasurable.