Clarke Central High School freshman counselor Roy Lynn Butler poses in his office on Aug. 24. Butler obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees at Carson Newman University in Jefferson City, TN before coming to CCHS for his first job as a counselor this school year, bringing his passion for working with students in more progressive ways. “I started working with trans students at one of my internship placements. I just thought it was amazing to work with and learn more about the population and understand it a little bit better, and so whenever I went to pursue different jobs, I wanted to see that population in the school,” Butler said. “Athens just has a lot more possibilities and is a more progressive area than where I'm from in Tennessee, and I really wanted to see that progression towards different areas, especially with LGBTQ youth and other cultures and minorities that you don't really get to help in other areas.” Photo and story by Audrey Enghauser

Clarke Central High School freshman counselor Lawton Stephens speaks to a freshman on Aug. 27. Before coming to CCHS from Denver for the 2021-22 school year, Stephens helped teenagers transition out of the juvenile justice system using outdoor activities, such as six-to-seven-day backpacking and river trips. “For a lot of the students, even living in Denver and being able to see the mountains kind of in the distance, a lot of them had never been there -- it was pretty foreign to them. So just seeing that initial spark of connection there, like realizing, ‘Oh, man, this is really cool, there's a lot to explore out here,’” Stephens said. “On the surface and experientially, I didn't have a whole lot in common with a lot of the students that I worked with, but sharing that space in the outdoors broke down a lot of boundaries to connection and to conversation.” Photo and story by Audrey Enghauser

Clarke Central High School fine arts department teacher Cammi Newby stands in front of student-created art pieces in Room 351 on Aug. 25. While she has previously taught art, CCHS is the first school in which she has worked with other art teachers. “My favorite thing about CCHS is getting to work in a team with other art teachers because before this, I've always been by myself planning by myself,” Newby said. “I love the variety of people, co-workers and students.” Photo and story by Lucas Donnelly

Clarke Central High School College Adviser Tavaria Smith poses in her office within the CCHS Administrative Suite on Aug. 23. Smith, a 2019 CCHS alumna, has seen her job as a way of contributing to her community and working towards her long-term goals of becoming an attorney. “(As a college adviser), I'm helping students. I'm just really big on helping people that are less fortunate, (and are) coming from those misrepresented backgrounds,” Smith said. “I want to go to law school because I feel like that's the biggest way for me to make an impact. In the long run, I want to open up my own nonprofit working with African Americans that just got released from prison or jail and help them get back on their feet, (and) I feel like it would be better for me to do that with a law degree.” Photo and story by Natalie Schliekelman

Clarke Central High School Counseling Secretary Kelly Patton stands by her desk in the CCHS Administrative Suite on Aug. 26. Patton, who graduated from Cedar Shoals High School in 2007, was thrilled to take on a position at CCHS and has felt that her role as the face of the counseling office is an important one. “When students come in, I’m the one that they talk to. When they’re having a hard situation that they’re in, I’m the one that they see first, and I get them in contact with a counselor and get them to the right person so that we can get them settled and get everything fixed for them as best we can,” Patton said. Photo and story by Isabella Westrich

Clarke Central High School 10-12th Grade Counselor (last names E-J) Lisa Smith-Proffitt stands outside the CCHS cafeteria. Smith-Proffitt moved from Seattle, WA to Athens, GA to be closer to her son, a law student at the University of Georgia. “(Before coming to CCHS) I was a counselor for a little while at a kindergarten center, called Pathfinder. They had 500 kindergarteners in the whole district, (and) that's where all the kids in the district went,” Smith-Proffitt said. “It was interesting and I loved that. High school is completely different, but I love that because I can actually have the interaction, and you can participate more in your own counseling sessions.” Photo and story by Chloe Sears

Clarke Central High School English department teacher Camille Joiner stands in front of a wall of posters at Clarke Central High School on August 24. Joiner visited CCHS as a student at UGA in the spring of 2020 and was intrigued by the intentional discourse about sensitive topics that she observed. “When I went to UGA as part of my student teaching, I got to sit in on a few classes (at CCHS),” Joiner said. “And I just liked what I saw. I liked seeing English teachers have important conversations about things like race and gender, and I'd never seen that in a school before. And I was like, I can get behind this. I want to be a part of this.” Photo and story by Nico Willman

Clarke Central High School Math Instructional Coach Alexis Scott walks through the second floor West Wing breezeway on Aug 25. Scott was hired for the 2021-22 school year and thinks highly of CCHS. “I love public education. I believe in the power of public education. Look at this building, the staff, look at all the places kids can be involved,” Scott said, “I'm really excited to be here. I would love to get to meet some students.” Photo and story by Cadence Schapker

Clarke Central High School fine arts department teacher Emily Button stands in front of the drama classroom on Aug. 24. Button was heavily influenced by her high school drama teacher, as well as by family members, many of whom are teachers. “I became a teacher because the drama teacher that I had in high school had a huge impact on my life. Then, also, my dad was a teacher so I grew up at school all the time, and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are also teachers. So just being surrounded by teachers and having teachers that made such positive impacts on my life determined my career path,” Button said. Photo and story by Lukas Cornish

Clarke Central High School social worker Ashley Simpson-Haley sits at her desk in the CCHS Administrative Suite on Aug. 23. After a student confided in her about a sensitive topic, Simpson-Haley was inspired to become a social worker so she could help students on a deeper level. “A couple (of) years ago there was a student who ended up telling me that she thought she may be pregnant. As a college adviser, I had no experience in working with students like that, so I'm like, ‘How do I help her? I know she needs help, but what do I do?'” Simpson-Haley said. “That experience made me see the need (to be a social worker), because she felt comfortable telling me that (she was pregnant) because I was younger, and closer to her age.” Photo and story by Maya Clement

Clarke Central High School social studies department teacher Thomas Drewry holds "The Racial Healing Handbook", a book he is currently reading, while at his desk in Room 283 on Aug. 24. As a new addition to the CCHS social studies department, Drewry has felt that the purpose of social studies is helping students realize their role in society. “For me, (social studies) is not really a matter of being objective or subjective, it's really about helping students in becoming the best citizens they can be. In the classroom, I ask questions that I hope helps students understand the role they have as a citizen,” Drewry said. “I feel very welcome at CCHS by the social studies department. In terms of (my) mission to help kids think critically and help them be good citizens, I’ve felt (that’s) what the goal is here, too.” Photo and story by Isaac Ramirez

Clarke Central High School Assistant Band Director Ashley Williams plays a piece on her trombone in May 2016. Williams began teaching at CCHS at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, but she has enjoyed music since she was young. “I've always loved music, ever since I was a little girl, even a baby. And when I realized that I could teach what I love, that made me realize this is what I need to do,” Williams said. “(When I was a senior in high school), I had a project where I had a mini band ensemble. We all played a song and I was conducting them. It was a great experience. It was definitely a predecessor for when I went to college.” Story by Anna Shaikun, photo courtesy of Ashley Williams