SD#3 welcomes four new teachers

From a personnel standpoint, Big Horn County School District No. 3 begins the year with eight new employees.
The new full-time teachers, who are profiled below, include Patricia Anderson (special education), Brandon Douglas (elementary computer science), Mikelle Gaines (high school language arts) and Holly Thomas (high school science).
The district also hired a new school nurse, Laura Youman, and three new paraprofessionals:  Emily Bottom and Paige Lillard, who will work at the high school, and Rhonda Alford, at the elementary.
The district has yet to hire an ag teacher/FFA sponsor.
Mikelle Gaines
BACKGROUND: I grew up in California where I graduated from Sonora High School in Sonora. From California State University East Bay, I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies with a geography concentration. From Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Wash., I hold a Master’s degree in English literature and writing. Also from Eastern Washington University, I have almost completed my Master’s in Education degree with a secondary credential. I hold secondary teaching credentials in Washington and Wyoming. I spent close to two years working in the town of Florence, Ariz., as a tutor to students from kindergarten - high school. I also spent five years as an assistant martial arts instructor in Bothell, Wash., where I worked with children of all ages. I spent two years teaching first and second year English composition at Eastern Washington University and one year of student teaching in the Spokane (Wash.) Public School District. My husband and I share three lovely young daughters who live in three different states with their families (I am trying to convince them to move to Wyoming). My husband and I share our space with two demanding felines. I enjoy reading, cooking, taking walks, and practicing yoga. I hope to find time to develop my guitar playing skills.
WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING/COACHING?  I will be teaching English Language Arts at Greybull High School. I will be working with the ninth- and 11th-grade students. At this point, I have not accepted any extracurricular assignments.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A TEACHER? I love learning and wanted to share the joy of knowledge with students. My goal is to build relationships with students and their families in this community.
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY MOST APPEALED TO YOU?  The beauty of the natural landscape and the small rural communities were my inspiration for considering any teaching position in Wyoming. However, the Greybull community members are the reason I accepted a teaching job here.
Brandon Douglas
BACKGROUND: I grew up and graduated high school from Red Lodge, Mont. I started my college education at Northwest College in Powell and completed my bachelor’s degree from MSU-Billings.
I have three kids.  Riley is 15, and she is a sophomore at Powell High School. Caden is 13 and is in eighth grade; he attends NorthEast Wyoming BOCES in Gillette. Avery is 10 and is a fourth grader at Southside Elementary in Powell.
My hobbies include spending time with my kids as much as possible. We enjoy spending time kayaking during the summer, skiing during the winter. I enjoy reading in my spare time. I also have the pleasure to volunteer by serving for the following programs: University of Wyoming, Wyoming Institute for Disabilities, and the Consumer Advisory Council; State of Wyoming, Wyoming Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities as a panel member. In the past I have served as the chairman for the following organizations: Wyoming Governor’s Council for Developmental Disabilities, and Parents Helping Parents, Parent Information Center of Wyoming (PIC).
WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING/COACHING?  I am the new computer science teacher and librarian at Greybull Elementary School.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A TEACHER? I was in the mortgage industry for 22 years. The mortgage industry started declining in 2023 and I knew I wanted to look at different career options. In January of 2024, I started substitute teaching for the Greybull schools. Within the first week, I knew I wanted to change my career to become an educator.  Being in the schools and working with all the students was exactly the change that I knew I wanted. As a mortgage lender, I was educating adults. I decided that I wanted to make more of a positive impact with educating children.
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY MOST APPEALED TO YOU?  The entire team in our school district made me want to apply for the position for which I was hired. While I was a substitute teacher for our district, I was constantly welcomed by everyone in the district and enjoyed working with each of the students and staff. I am looking forward to being able to continue to be a part of the community.
Patricia Anderson
BACKGROUND:  I grew up in Wisconsin. I graduated high school from Rice Lake Senior High School in Rice Lake, Wisc. I went to college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, in Eau Claire, Wis., where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in special education. From there, I went on to teach two years in rural Park Falls, Wis., then I taught the next 11 years in Hayward, Wis. After my second child was born, I decided to get my master’s degree at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich. In 2007, we packed up our family and moved out west where I taught for 17 years in Worland. I have always taught in special education as both an elementary special education teacher and a high school special education teacher.
I am married with four grown children. Two of them live in Idaho and two of them live in Wyoming. I am also blessed with a lovely granddaughter who just turned 3.
In my spare time, I enjoy taking my dogs for a walk. I also have a little sheep farm, currently with 35 sheep, which I truly enjoy. I also do some crafting on the side, as well as card making and scrapbooking.
WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING/COACHING?  In Greybull, I will be teaching in the high school and middle school life skills classroom. I am excited to get to know the students.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A TEACHER?  I have loved my job as a teacher, as I have been given the opportunity to teach young minds and help them grow into successful citizens. It is pure joy when a student understands a concept for the first time and they are so proud of themselves when they are able to complete the task you have given them.
Holly Thomas
BACKGROUND: I grew up in a small farming community in northeast Kansas where I graduated high school. Growing up, I spent summers working at a family friend’s dude ranch in the Beartooths. I graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife biology and practiced in that field for several years before returning to school to pursue my master’s degree in education. This will be my fifth teaching year. Prior to coming to Greybull, I’ve spent time in the classroom in Hot Spring County School District as well as Shoshoni High School, and most recently back in Kansas at my alma mater, Onaga High School. My family - husband, daughter, three dogs, and three horses - and I are all very excited to be in Greybull where we plan to spend most of our time outside school recreating in the mountains.
WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING/COACHING?  I will be teaching life sciences at Greybull High School to currently include biology, anatomy and physiology, and wildlife science.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A TEACHER?  I decided to become a teacher because one of my favorite aspects of any job I’d previously had was teaching people about the work I was doing — whether that be wildlife management practices or how to ride a horse. I have always felt knowledge is power and I love to share what I am passionate about with others.
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY MOST APPEALED TO YOU?  My family was looking to make a move back to the Bighorn Basin, but when I interviewed with the team at Greybull High School, I felt a connection to the staff and knew I’d found a great team.