Mrs. Lisa Welch is a veteran teacher at the Linsly school. She is a key part of students’ lives and the language department. Mrs. Welch speaks an impressive four languages total: English, German, French, and Spanish. Mrs. Welch has been teaching at Linsly for thirty one years, and also taught French and German at WVU as a graduate assistant. One of her most outstanding accomplishments is that she spent one year in Austria teaching English to local students.
When asked why she teaches, she explains, “I teach because I love languages and I want to encourage people to learn them. I feel that you can learn so much more than just how to understand a language by studying one. You end up comparing culture and customs and often gain an insight into how people in other cultures see the world around them.”
On top of her outstanding education and intelligence, Mrs. Welch continues to make large impacts on her students.
Fifth grade Linsly student, Vivian Barricklow, says she loves learning from Mrs. Welch because “she pronounces everything in pretty accents.” When sixth grader, Colbie Ward, was asked about going into Mrs. Welch’s class and advisor as a new student, she replies, “I immediately felt welcomed when I walked into her classroom and was impressed by her ability to speak so many languages.”
Outside of teaching, she has also been the middle school forensics coach for twenty-eight years, showing her commitment to helping students grow.
In her personal life, Mrs. Welch and her husband, Doug Welch, like to work in their garden or cook. She also has two cats named Kingsford and Punkin, who she cares for deeply.
The Linsly School community is grateful for Mrs. Welch and the positive atmosphere she creates in her classroom.
By: Lydia Dias
