Mary Lambert
FOURTH GRADE INSTRUCTOR
B.A. in English, Covenant College
M.F.A. in Writing, Vermont College of Fine Arts
Teaching is a calling, and I feel so privileged to live out my calling at Caritas this year. I wholeheartedly embrace the motto of my alma mater, Covenant College, which states, “In all things Christ preeminent.” Whether in the classroom, at home, or abroad, life should be lived in the knowledge of who God is and the world experienced through the lens of Scripture. As an instructor, it is my joy to encourage each student in their faith, in their natural desire to explore creation, and in their unique gifts and talents.
Since I was a small child, I wanted to be a teacher. My grandma and my mom were both teachers, and it was only natural that I would want to emulate the women I so admired. In middle school, I helped with my church’s preschool program, and in high school, I volunteered in a fourth-grade classroom. As an undergraduate, I majored in English and minored in both history and education. I completed teaching practicums in first and third-grade classrooms in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area and in a fifth-grade classroom in Budapest, Hungary. After finishing my degree, I spent seventeen years teaching seventh and eighth grade English at a charter school in Tempe, Arizona. For several of those years, I also worked as a youth leader in the high school ministry at my church and later served as a preschool Sunday School teacher.
Outside of the classroom, I enjoy writing and traveling. I have published two middle grade novels and have written many more that remain unpublished. During summer breaks, I indulge in recreational hiking, pretending that I know how to canoe, sightseeing, and drinking way too much iced coffee. I love taking pictures, spending time with family, and walking my dog, Ollie. I am grateful for all that is good, true, and beautiful, and I am delighted for the opportunity to work in a community focused on sharing these Christian virtues with our students.