Ms. Doud is a new teacher at Apex High School this year! She is very happy to be here, and you can get to know her better with the interview below:

Q: What class or classes do you teach?

A: English.

Q: Where are you from?

A: I am originally from Syracuse, New York.

Q: What college(s) did you attend?

A: I went to State University of New York, and I also did my Master’s degree online with Jones International University.

Q: How did you become interested in teaching?

A: A couple years out of college I was working for a small startup company, and I got to take part in creating training programs for our salespeople, suppliers, and distributors, and it was a ground-floor opportunity. I helped build the materials, decide what we were going to teach, and then delivered the materials during what we called ‘the boot camp.’ It was so much fun and so fulfilling, so a fire was lit inside of me, and I decided that teaching was something that I needed to pursue.

Q: What did you do before coming to Apex High School?

A: I have worked in sales and marketing. The job with the startup company was a marketing position. I’ve also sold newspaper and radio advertisements. I’ve also taught college classes for over ten years and worked as a substitute teacher for Wake County schools.

Q: Do you have any kids or pets?

A: I have two children. I have a ten year old daughter and a seven year old son. We also have a puggle, and his name is Mocha.

Q: What is your favorite show?

A: This is Us; I absolutely love that show, and I can’t wait for it to come back.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: When I have time, I enjoy gardening, scrapbooking, and reading.

Q: What is your favorite book and why?

A: My favorite book of all time is The Secret Garden. I really enjoyed it as a kid because I thought it was interesting, and I thought the fact that this girl transformed the garden was really neat. As an adult looking back at that book, I realize it’s an incredible story of transformation, and it still holds a special place in my heart.

Q: What is your favorite quote or what words do you live by?

A: The words I live by were from my great grandmother. When she was in her nineties, she told me, “I’ve seen a lot, I’ve learned a lot, but I still have a lot to learn.” To me that translates to never stop learning, and always keep your mind open because when we stop learning we shut down.

Q: What three words describe you best?

A: Organized, enthusiastic, and dedicated.

Q: What are your thoughts on Apex High School so far? Likes? Dislikes?

A: I think this is a great school. My fellow faculty members are very supportive, and the students, I think, are top notch; they seem to want to learn and want to be here. I think it’s a great environment for learning and just in general, as far as a high school goes.

Q: Is there anything you are most excited about for this year?

A: I’m excited about bringing lessons to life. I think English can often be, unless you’re a reader, like “Oh gosh, we’ve got to read another book. This is going to be boring.” I really try to find ways to make lessons relatable and make them exciting. Obviously we can’t do that with every single lesson, but I try to find something that everyone enjoys in class throughout the entire semester.

Q: What were you like as a student?

A: I was timid and shy, and I didn’t speak up very often. I was in band, and back then the popular kids were not in band, but it was what I loved. I had to work hard though, to earn the grades that I did, and I was not a straight-A student.

Q: What advice do you want to give students for this school year?

A: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are proof that you are trying.

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