
One is an accomplished historian and long-distance runner. One’s a retired Florida Army National Guard Captain and management whiz. The third is a career educator with a quick laugh and a charming southern drawl. Three distinct personalities, three distinct careers.
“I still get a rush every time it happens,” Thomas Graham said. “Every time I see a student out in the world, achieving something, and I realize that’s the same quiet girl who sits in the back of my class. These students are high achievers — they’re doers. I’m always pleasantly surprised by the capabilities of my students.”


In Tasha Walden’s classroom, six fourth-graders sit around a table in silence. When Walden asks a question, three arms dart up to answer. When one girl is picked, she walks to the Smart Board, touches a set of numbers and slides it across the screen.



