Jessica Stainback walks into Prince George High School feeling anxious, excited, and nervous. She is a new tenth and twelfth grade English teacher at the school, but she is not new to Prince George.

“[ I chose to teach here], because I live here, and graduated from  here. It is a great school system. Why wouldn’t I come back?,” she said.

Stainback learned she wanted to become a teacher while she was in class as a student here.

“I was sitting in Statistics class, which is taught by Mr. Whitt, and the students around me were having problems with the work. I found it easy to help them, and then a lightbulb clicked on in my head. I said this might be something I want to do,” she said.

She attended Longwood University and majored in Math.

“When I got to college, I realized that Calculus II was not for me. I realized I did not want to spend five hours on two math problems,” Stainback said.

Then Stainback decided to change her major.

“I really enjoyed English class, and I liked Brit Lit (British Literature). I really enjoyed the content and materials. It is fun to sit around and talk about books, and to see everyone’s perspective,” she said.

Stainback wants her students to take away different things from her class.

“I want my 10th graders to understand the academic bar set here at Prince George, and the expectations they have here. [Also] that they can apply the books they read in their daily lives,” she said.

She also wants her seniors to take away something from her class.

“I want my 12th graders to know they are ready to leave by the end of the year, and be confident. The skills they learn here are not just used in this class, but in others,” Stainback said.

Stainback wants her students to remember another thing.

“Reading is fun!”