Lisa Gilliard ‘04
Greenville, SC
Love of children, Love of learning
Education alum Lisa Gilliard loves to be around children and to watch them learn. Through working with children at her church and in her community, Lisa started to realize there was so much more she could do, so she enrolled in the School of Education at Southern Wesleyan.
Lisa’s peers at Grove Elementary School in Piedmont, S.C. recognized her love for teaching and named her 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year.
Lisa earned her bachelor of science degree in elementary education and early childhood education. She is in her second year at Grove Elementary. Prior to teaching at Grove, Lisa taught second-grade at Taylors Elementary.
“I enjoy teaching first graders because they are so eager to learn and eager to please. Through education, I believe you can make a difference in a child's life. All children can learn.” Her husband Marvin is a Police Officer with the Greenville City Police Department.
Preparing for real classroom experiences
Lisa said that Southern Wesleyan University really prepared her for what to expect. In the classes she found the work realistic. “There was nothing sugar-coated about it,” she says.
”You learn procedures on how to handle lots of situations. The instructors are very knowledgeable and have spent time in the classroom themselves.”