Katrina is an English teacher at Central High School. She has been teaching for 33 years, all at Central High. Katrina grew up with a love of books and spent much of her time reading and babysitting. When she realized she could combine her love of literature with her love for kids, she knew she had found her path. Her greatest inspiration is Sally Shipley, her high school speech and forensics coach. Katrina enjoys helping students discover their gifts, whether in writing, speaking or leading, and believes each student brings something valuable to the classroom. A fun fact about Katrina is that actor Paul Rudd, best known for his role as Ant-Man, was in her high school forensics class at Shawnee Mission West
Noah is an art teacher at Central High School. He has been teaching for six years, with the past three spent at Central. Pulling his inspiration from Larry Cullins, Noah brings creativity and energy to his classroom every day. His favorite part of teaching is getting to know his students and watching their artistic skills grow and improve throughout the year. Some fun facts about Noah are that last year, he earned second place in a large openweight sumo wrestling tournament in Texas and he dressed up as a clown at Central’s 2023 graduation ceremony.
Lindsay is an orchestra teacher at Central High School. She has taught for 23 years, all in Salina, with 11 of those at Central High. Growing up surrounded by music, she was inspired by her mom, who is also an orchestra teacher, and by the female conductors she had as a student. Those influences sparked her desire to share her passion for music with others. Her favorite part about teaching is being able to watch her students grow because she has taught some of them for up to eight years. A fun fact about Lindsay is that she played in Carnegie Hall with the National Wind Ensemble when she was in college.
Alan is a journalism teacher at Central High School. This is his 16th year teaching and his third year at Central. He originally went to college to become a sportscaster but quickly realized he was meant to be a teacher and coach. He has been inspired by many teachers and coaches who have guided him along his path. A fun fact about Alan is that when he was in college, he had dinner with Woody Harrelson, which ended with the two of them playing a basketball game together.
Alyssa Waldron is an English teacher at Central High School, currently in her eighth year of teaching and her fifth year at Central. She became a teacher because she loves that no two days are the same and that every student brings something unique to the classroom. She credits Mr. Lucke, her high school softball coach and math teacher, as a key inspiration. Her favorite part of teaching is her students, who bring joy and purpose to each day and make even planning and grading feel more rewarding. A fun fact about Alyssa is that since 2019, she and her fiancé have traveled to half of the U.S. states.
