Where It All Began

My name is Grace Ann, and education has been woven into the fabric of my life from the beginning. Growing up in the sweltering Georgia heat with just a box fan to cool my little white backyard dollhouse, I played teacher for hours on end. My mother, an educator herself, inspired my early passion for teaching.

What's funny is that even as a child, I spent more time planning lessons and creating resources than actually "teaching" my dolls. I'd eagerly flip through "Early Childhood Themes Through the Year" from Teacher Created Resources or sneak off to my grandparents' house to use their printer for my classroom materials.

Finding My Path

In high school, those childhood games evolved into volunteering in my mother's special education classroom. There, I discovered the joy of seeing genuine smiles on students' faces as they connected with learning.

My educational journey took some turns. I completed my Associate's degree in Business from East Georgia State College while still in high school and initially pursued accounting at Georgia Southern University's College of Business. But something wasn't quite right.

On a whim, I decided to try elementary education courses—and everything changed. I had found my passion, my everything. The next semester, I began working alongside an extraordinary kindergarten teacher who showed me what classroom magic really looked like.

Navigating Challenges

When the pandemic forced schools to close, my classroom experience was cut short. Undeterred, I volunteered throughout the global pandemic while finishing my elementary education degree, working with students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

An incredible opportunity arose during this time—a paid internship as a first-year teacher while completing my degree. With the support of the E.D.G.E. scholarship, I began teaching during my senior year at Georgia Southern University.

After graduation, I moved to Boston with my college sweetheart and taught second and fifth grades, as well as summer camps. But life had other plans. Unexpected health problems forced me to end my teaching career—a devastating blow to someone who had dreamed of teaching her entire life.

A New Chapter

Facing this crossroads, I wondered how I could still make a difference if I couldn't teach. I began pursuing my Master's in Design and Technology, hoping to eventually work in educational resource development.

One day, it clicked. I could build a portfolio of teacher resources. Remembering all the encouragement I'd received over the years to sell my classroom materials, I took a leap of faith and started a TikTok channel while struggling financially and working on my Master's degree.

A month later, the first teacher drive began to grow. Today, my resources have been shared with countless classrooms across the country. I've found my new purpose—supporting teachers allows me to stay connected to the classroom in a meaningful way.

Every resource I create is infused with my passion for education and understanding of what teachers truly need. Though my path looks different than I imagined, I'm still fulfilling my lifelong mission of making a difference in education, one resource at a time.