After seven years of teaching at Chapman High School, science teacher and student council adviser Chelsea Elkins is saying goodbye. 

Elkins became a Panther after graduating from Clemson University in 2015. She chose Chapman, she says,  because of its family-like atmosphere and sense of community.

“When I interviewed and came to visit the school, I fell in love with the community atmosphere and how it felt like I would be joining a teaching family,” Elkins said. 

While at CHS, Elkins taught both Biology 1 and AP Biology. Because she taught both freshman courses and upper-level courses, she had the unique opportunity to teach students when they first entered high school and see their journey unfold.

The ability to watch students during all stages of their high school career, Elkins says, is what she enjoyed the most about being a Panther.

“I have enjoyed all the students that I have gotten to know and teach over the years through biology,” Elkins said. “It’s really fun getting to teach students as freshmen and watch them grow up and change during their four years at CHS.” 

Elkins’ students appreciated her passion for teaching and her willingness to help students whenever they needed it. 

Junior Abby Gossett especially liked the analogies she used to explain difficult concepts, while junior Kady Cartee was grateful for the different methods Elkins utilized to help her students understand the material.

“The thing I appreciated the most about Mrs. Elkins was the enthusiasm she had to teach biology every day,” Gossett said. “I enjoyed coming to class every day to hear her analogies and fascination with the subject we’re learning.”

“She was willing to help you understand and wanted to make sure you understood,” Cartee said. “Whether it was drawing pictures on the board or explaining it in a simpler way, she wanted to make sure you knew.”

Both Cartee and Gossett agreed that Elkins’ sense of humor would be sorely missed by her students. Not only was she able to laugh when students tried to be funny, but she could also make the class fun too.

“She also laughed with us,” Cartee said. “She would laugh with us when we asked stupid questions or if we just made jokes.”

“The thing I will miss most about Mrs. Elkins is her kind of sly humor and her facial expressions,” Gossett said. “Her animated facial expressions and humor would keep us laughing and having fun in class.”

Even though she is moving out of the walls of Chapman and into a new school, Elkins will never forget the impact this school, this student body, this teaching staff, and this administration has left on her career.

“Chapman taught me how to be a teacher in reality,” Elkins said. “Every student, class, colleague and administrator has helped to show me how to be a good teacher in every aspect, such as caring, building relationships, instruction, assessments, everything. I’m going to miss everyone!”