By Jamar Younger
Kingman Academy of Learning is known throughout its northwest Arizona community as a highly-rated K-12 public charter school that provides a rigorous education to area students.
For those involved with the school, however, the family atmosphere is just as significant as its academics.
The school’s sense of family has inspired four of its graduates to return to the school as teachers and classroom assistants, allowing them to pursue an education career while engaging in the culture that helped nurture them when they were students.
Ashley Henry teaches physical education at the intermediate and primary schools, while Mira Singer and Timbre Garcia work as special education paraprofessionals in the primary school.
Another former student, William McDavid, teaches math in the high school.
Kingman Academy of Learning also operates a middle school as one of its four campuses, in addition to a preschool.
“It’s unique how much of a family we are,” Singer said. “Whenever someone has a hard time, the school comes together. We’re a big awesome family.”
Singer has worked at the school for the past two years after graduating in 2015. She arrived as a student in third grade after her family determined that the school was a better fit.
“This school completely changed my life around. All the teachers are amazing,” she said.
Singer, who is taking classes through Grand Canyon University’s online program, mentored younger students while she was a high school student, but never considered teaching as a career until after she graduated and began attending college.
She originally wanted to be a dental hygienist.
“It’s crazy how things change,” she said.
The school has worked with Singer to help her receive tuition assistance for her college classes.
“I’m really grateful for this school and everything that everyone has done for me,” she said.
Garcia began attending Kingman Academy in fourth grade after her family moved to Kingman from Las Vegas.
After her high school graduation in 2016, Garcia worked as a nanny for one of the high school teachers, who encouraged her to apply for a job at the school.
Garcia also mentored younger children at the school when she was a student.
“It’s such a small school, with all of us having grown up together,” she said.
Garcia originally wanted to pursue nursing, but changed her mind once she began working at the school.
“I’ve always had a big heart for kids,” she said. “I always thought it was something I’d be good at and enjoy doing.”
Ashley Henry’s father took a job at the school as a physical education teacher, which led to her transferring to the school in fifth grade.
She graduated from the high school in 2012 and left for Northern Arizona University. However, she always knew that she would return to Kingman while following her father’s path as a physical education teacher.
Henry felt the school challenged her academically when she was a student and allowed her to build a close relationship with her teachers.
She hopes to share that experience with her current students.
“The position opened at the high school and it all worked out,” she said. “What drew me back were the smaller class sizes. It’s kind of like a family environment.”
