Hello, Katy Jo...

There's an old Ricky Nelson, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Statler Brothers, Oak Ridge Boys song called 'Hello, Mary Lou.'

You've heard it. 'Hello, Mary Lou. Goodbye heart. Sweet Mary Lou, I'm so in love with you...' or something like that.

Anyway, it's a catchy little song and I've been singing it all day. That's because I've been thinking about my friend Katy Jo a lot today and for some reason I substitute her name in the song whenever I sing it.

"Hello, Katy Jo. Goodbye, Heart..."

The famous Miss Katy Jo:

Yes, she's famous. At least, that's how the three year old feels about her: 

"Look into my eyes, you want to take me to see Miss Katy"

Except, she's not actually 'Miss' Katy. 

She married this character shown here named Matt. We roped them into babysitting one night. Here is a picture of Stella and Matt watching Dora the Explorer.  They were eagerly waiting to see if Boots and Dora would find the ice cream truck. 

Spoiler alert: They did. 

Last year Katy Jo had a job teaching in the elementary at a great private school in a well to do neighborhood. 

This year she felt the Lord calling her to do something different. So, she left her cushy job and sought and obtained employment at the much less cushy Lincoln Academy. 

Lincoln Academy is...oh, let me just cut and paste: Lincoln Academy is a church school which seeks to provide a high quality Christ-centered education to students who are zoned to public Title I schools.

I talked to her about her decision this morning.

Paula (AKA Jane Random): When did you first feel called to go into teaching?

Katy Jo (AKA Girl with the Biggest Heart Ever): Since I was a little girl! The more time I spent around little kids the more God confirmed that it what I needed to do.

Paula: When did you first feel called to Lincoln Academy?

Katy Jo: When I was a senior in high school I did an internship with my first grade teacher. It was there that I met a precious little girl named Alicia who God used to start cultivating in my heart the desire to teach in the inner city. She had holes in her clothes, dirt in her hair, and at Christmas, while the other kids were asking for hundreds of dollars worth of toys, all she wanted was her very own Barbie doll. 

When I moved to Montgomery for college I heard about a ministry called Common Ground. It is an inner city ministry where I went and tutored kiddos in the afternoons. God used that experience to reaffirm that the inner city was where I was called to teach; at that point I just didn't know in what capacity. When I moved to Huntsville I began praying that God would provide a way for me to serve Him and His children in the inner city. A few months later I found out about Lincoln Academy, and immediately knew God had provided. 

It is truly an incredible opportunity to not only be able to teach and love on kids who so desperately need it, but to do so in a Christian environment, where you can continuously point them to the one who loves them more than you do, Jesus.

Paula: What do you want your students to learn? 

Katy Jo: I want my students to know that they are so so loved. I want them to know that they are cherished and believed in and can do all things through Christ who created and loves them. I want them to understand that it's okay to fail, God's mercies are new every morning. I want them to know that through all the brokenness that they may have seen in their little lives , God can and will redeem and use for good . Mostly , I want them to know and understand , that as much as I love them, I will fail them; Jesus's love will never fail them and I pray that they cling to that truth.

 

Paula: What do you want people to know about Lincoln Academy?

Katy Jo: I want people to know that Lincoln Academy is a place where we are striving to give children the tools to grow and be successful in all areas of their lives. These kids yearn for opportunities, they know that there is more to life than what they see every day. Yes, as a teacher, I have a huge desire for my class to grow academically. But my greatest desire is that in the year I have with this particular class, that they will leave knowing and understanding that they are loved and believed in no matter where life takes them.

I also want people to know that we, as staff , need your help. We need you to pray for us and the kids. We need supplies to keep our classrooms fully equipped and a place that encourages learning. We need tutors, to come spend a few minutes a week encouraging a kid and spending time with them. My desire as a teacher is that these kids are exposed to as many positive, loving, encouraging, adults as possible so that they go to bed at night knowing that someone, somewhere, loves them, wants to spend time with them, and believes they are capable of achieving their dreams. 

Paula: Now, on to the most important question, Is being a red head as cool as it seems? 

Katy Jo: It IS pretty cool! The not so cool part is that strangers come up and touch my hair. Just because it's red doesn't mean it feels any different. 

Paula: You were born and raised in Panama City, Florida. What would you say to someone who thinks that Destin is way better than Panama City?

Katy Jo: You haven't seen where the locals go! Panama City gets a bad rap a lot of times but it really is an awesome place to grow up! We could go to the beach any time after school, hang out for a bit, then go back "over the bridge" and be in a precious small town where everyone knows you. If you visit, ask where the locals go! You will beat all the crowds and find the coolest little hole in the wall places. 

Having said all that, Huntsville really needs a beach! 

Hmmm...We'll work on that Katy! Thanks for the interview!!!