As the end of the 25-26 school year approaches, Mrs. Christy Mills, a beloved English teacher at Sierra Vista, prepares to finish the final chapter of her teaching career. For 32 years, Mrs. Mills lived her dream of becoming a teacher and built long-lasting relationships with her students.
Mrs. Mills always wanted to become a teacher. Mrs. Mills’ mother taught elementary school art for 33 years and stands as Mrs. Mills’ hero and inspiration. Modeling her mom, in her childhood, Mrs. Mills would even pretend to teach by setting up mini classrooms and using her dolls and stuffed animals to represent students. Mrs. Mills’ dream turned into a reality when she officially became a fourth-generation teacher. Just 6 years ago, Mrs. Mills’ niece became a fifth-generation teacher, so, although this year serves as the end of Mrs. Mills’ career, her legacy lives on.
Throughout Mrs. Mills’ three-decade-long career, she has placed teaching Dual Enrollment via the University of Nevada, Reno, as her favorite subject. Mrs. Mills enjoys English 101 because of her passion to help students take their first steps into the college realm and prepare them for the future. Mrs. Mills shares, “I love interacting with students and helping them realize their potential. One of the reasons I stayed in the classroom throughout my career is the fact that I didn’t want to give up that interaction.”
Mrs. Mills’ passion for preparing students for the future shaped one of her favorite memories of being a teacher. This memorable interaction started on a random morning in 2005, as Mrs. Mills shopped at Barnes and Noble. While shopping, she ran into a former student who graduated in 1998. Mrs. Mills found it shocking that she ran into him because she taught him in Oklahoma. After speaking with the former student, Mrs. Mills learned that he graduated from the University of Oklahoma and ended up attending UNLV to earn his master’s. Mills remarks, “It was fun catching up with him; he even called a friend of his in Oklahoma who had also been a student of mine.” These memorable interactions with students make teaching so enjoyable for Mrs. Mills.
Mrs. Mills feels excited to begin new adventures with her husband as they both plan to retire this spring and move to Alabama, so they can live closer to family. Mrs. Mills’ ability to go on vacations in months other than June and July stands as the main reason she feels so excited.
Mrs. Mills would encourage any student who would like to become a teacher to follow their dreams. Mrs. Mills advises students to really think about why they want to teach, however, and notes, “It’s a job that requires a lot of effort emotionally and mentally. There are days that you will love it and days that you hate it. You have to decide which one outweighs the other and proceed from there.” Mrs. Mills also warns that setting personal boundaries on yourself becomes one of the most challenging aspects of teaching. Mrs. Mills learned that teachers need to leave their work at the workplace; teaching can become overwhelming and draining.
Many teachers witnessed the ways Mrs. Mills impacts students and fellow teacher’s lives. Ms. Imbriani, one of Mrs. Mills’ colleagues and friends, expresses, “Mrs. Mills has dedicated years to Sierra Vista as an educator and a teacher leader. She is beloved by her students, but her deepest mark is that of a mentor and matriarch of the English Department. She has been a voice of encouragement for so many educators, and this passionate support has created a positive ripple effect in classrooms outside her own over the course of her career.”
Many will miss Mrs. Mills, but Sierra Vista hopes she enjoys the beginning of an exciting chapter in her life. Congratulations to Mrs. Mills for her successful career and upcoming retirement.
