We recently had a chance to talk to Mr. Chris Wallace, who helps students around the building, and asked him about the school year so far. He said, “Being overly ambitious, my school year has been very busy so far. Between driving my bus route, working with students during the day, and chores at home there isn't much time to relax.” The reason he loves teaching is because he loves helping students achieve their goals.
We asked about Mr. Chris’ background. He said, “ I graduated from Liberal High School in the late 90's. I went to Southwest Kansas Technical school for a year where I studied Automotive Technology II. I worked in the automotive field for a few years before I started working for a company that does environmental spill cleanups. I went to various training and schools for two years to further my qualifications, to include Confined Space Entry and Rescue training, High Speed Defensive Driving, and 40 ton Crane Operations. I then joined the Army in 2001 and spent 20 years going to different training and military schools for the various levels required for the military.” We also asked about his experience in education. He said, “I taught for three years at Fort Lee, Virginia. I taught the Common Remotely Operated Weapons station and the Air Conditioning Module for the Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic School in the Army. The class was 5 days long, and had a new class of 30 to 35 students every week.”
We asked about Mr. Chris' home life. He said, “I was born in Houghton, Kansas, a small town in southwest Kansas, but I moved all over Kansas until I graduated high school.” Mr. Chris also said, “I loved school! I played a lot of sports growing up, and always looked forward to learning and seeing my friends at school. I always want students who are in my room to enjoy learning and enjoy coming to school every day."He said his family was also very in-depth in education. His mom was a para and a librarian for 20 years. Additionally, his dad was a substitute teacher after he retired from being a County Agent.
We asked why Mr. Chris decided to teach at White City. He stated, “I moved here after I retired from the Army. I got bored staying at home and needed something to do with my free time so I became a para here to help students.” I asked for anything else we should know about him. he said, “"I'm Just Me." Finally, he tells us that his favorite things to do in his free time are gardening, hunting, fishing, or playing video games.
Thank you, Mr. Chris!