Name:  

Amanda Wells

Year Graduated from FPHS:  

2003

Colleges (s) attended:

Northeast Alabama Community College

Berry College

Jacksonville State University

The University of Alabama

Where did you graduate? Year?

Berry College 2006

Jacksonville State University 2009

The University of Alabama 2016

Degree(s)?

Bachelor of Science in Physics

Master of Science in Secondary Education, General Science

Educational Specialist in Secondary Education, Curriculum and Instruction

 What is your current occupation and job title? 

High school science instructor at Fort Payne High School, college physics instructor for Snead State Community College

How has something you learned at FPHS helped you in your career or life journey?

I participated in 3 sports throughout high school – volleyball, basketball, and softball.  I also tried to be as successful as possible in the classroom. I enjoyed participating in several school clubs, and I was very involved in my church.  All of that helped prepare me for life as a collegiate student-athlete and as an adult.  Just like I wanted to be successful while I was in high school, I also want to be successful as an adult.  I want to have a nice house, a reliable vehicle, to be able to pay my bills, to spend time with my family, to go on vacations, etc.  Learning to put in the work to do my best while in high school created habits that have helped me to be successful as an adult.  Being surrounded by people who encouraged me to be my best made that even more possible.  My teachers, coaches, teammates, friends, and family encouraged me to keep going even when I was exhausted or discouraged, and I’m so thankful for all of them.

What was your favorite high school class at FPHS?

Hmm, I have always had really diverse interests.  I’m torn between math class, ag/shop class, and art class!  I guess in high school, math was usually my favorite.

Who was your favorite teacher at FPHS and why? 

That’s really hard.  I had so many great teachers.  I guess I can narrow it down to two for now—Mrs. Jane Crum, my 12^th grade calculus teacher, and Mr. Paul Crawford, my 10^th grade history teacher.  Mrs. Crum was always really positive and encouraging and patient.  She would explain things over and over until we understood.  She was always smiling and laughing.  She made me love math even more than I already did.  Mr. Crawford made me realize more than anyone else ever had before how important it is to truly think for yourself instead of just going through the motions or following the crowd.  My brother and I, to this day, still talk about having that same experience in Mr. Crawford’s class.  He also made history really interesting, which made me enjoy a subject that was not usually my favorite.  My current favorite podcast is a historical one, and I probably, at least in part, have Mr. Crawford to thank for that.

What is your favorite memory from high school? Or a special story you would like to share?

Memories that stand out in my mind:

• Dissecting a cat in Mr. Guice’s honors anatomy class
• Making it to the AHSAA Elite Eight state tournament in volleyball my junior year
• Going to team camps in the summer with my sports teams
• Summer workouts with no A/C in FPHS gym
• Building a picnic table in shop class with Mr. Lyles (My parents still have it at their house!)
• Riding the school bus to ball games and other school functions

What advice would you give to current high school students about education and pursuing their future careers?

You want a career that you’ll enjoy.  You also want a career that will provide a stable income for your family.  Try to find a good balance between those two things because you really want both.  And there are a lot of ways to make that happen.  It might be college, the military, a trade school, or some other path!  For me, I went to college on academic and volleyball scholarships and followed my interests (math, science, sports, my hometown, people, learning, diversity, change, helping others, problem-solving), and it turned out that the path led to a career that I love more than I ever imagined I would.  For you, who knows?  Follow your interests, but sprinkle some common sense in there.  You want to find a way to contribute, to make the world a better place, and there is absolutely a way that you were uniquely made to do that.  Plan to work hard and overcome obstacles along the way.  Surround yourself with people who make you better, who will encourage you.  Show up, do your best, keep a positive attitude, encourage others, pay attention to things.  Do all of this even when you don’t feel like it, and never, ever give up.  You want to have a good life!  And you can start creating the habits that will help you build that good life right now!

Name:

Rafael Millan-Lopez

Year Graduated from FPHS:

Class of 2018

College(s) Attended:

Birmingham-Southern College

College Graduated from and Year: 

Birmingham-Southern College – Class of 2022

Degree(s): 

Bachelor of Science in Accounting

 _____________________________________________________________________________________________

What is your current occupation and job title? 

Accountant – Tax Associate at Warren Averett and local business owner of Millan’s Pressure Washing, LLC in Fort Payne

How has something you learned at FPHS helped you in your career or life journey?

Something that I have learned since attending FPHS is the importance of creating relationships with others and the way you present yourself. Learning how to network with others could open new job opportunities.

What was your favorite high school class at FPHS?

My favorite high school class was history with Mrs. Gwarjanski.

Who was your favorite teacher at FPHS and why?

I enjoyed every teacher I had at FPHS. Mrs. Gwarjanski is one of my favorite teachers along with a few others. She gave me various tips and advice about how to approach my college career being a student athlete. Mrs. Gwarjanski checked up on me while I attended BSC and always asked about my grades and made sure I was staying on top of my academics.

What is your favorite memory from high school? Or a special story you would like to share?

My favorite memory from FPHS is being part of the 2015 Boys Soccer State Champion Team.

What advice would you give to current high school students about education and pursuing their future careers? 

My advice to current high school students about education and pursuing a career is to not make educational or career choices based on what your friends are doing. Find something that interests you. Getting a professional career isn’t meant to be easy. You are going to face challenges where you will have to work hard to overcome them.

“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek