Shanna Grimes has been teaching Spanish at Centennial since 2000, but recently, she has been gaining attention from students and staff for her hidden talent in baking various sweets and desserts. She has baked delicious treats for various school fundraisers, most notably the French Culture Club bake sales and the Spanish Honor Society Worldfest booth.
Grimes’ passion for teaching has been lifelong, as she shared, “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was five.” She was able to fulfill her childhood aspiration of becoming a teacher after she earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and her teaching certificate from Hood College, and received her master’s degree in Human Resources Development from McDaniel College. he explained that as she, “went through school, I started being in love with the Spanish language, so I decided that’s what I was going to concentrate on.”
Throughout her 25 years at Centennial, Grimes’ favorite part of teaching has been the “classes in general that have come together with various personalities, but they all really support each other.” Much like following a recipe, Grimes considers herself a rule follower and goes on to claim that she owns it wholeheartedly. Grimes embraces the differences that make up each class and encourages her students to learn new things outside of their comfort zone. Similar to her teaching style in the classroom, Grimes also pushes herself to try new things in the kitchen. When asked about her mindset in the kitchen, she reveals, “I like to challenge myself, so I am always looking for something to do.”
Baking is something Grimes has always enjoyed learning, she said, “It’s a calming activity, so I love doing it.” She adopted most of her baking skills from her mom and her sister., “We all collectively share things and share recipes and ideas.” Especially during COVID, she had a lot of extra time to explore new recipes from scratch.
Though she has recently gained recognition from her baking, she “[doesn’t] really like being known for [it].” She still enjoys baking on the side, but feels a subconscious pressure to meet the standards of others. Nonetheless, Grimes appreciates the opportunities baking has brought her as it “helped [her] to connect with Centennial students and staff.”
Grimes has been an integral part of Centennial’s language department and the acknowledgement for her talents is well deserved. She plans to continue her dedication for teaching and the Centennial community can hope to expect more sweets from her in the future.
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