New Faces at CAC
A new school year brings many fresh faces to CAC, including multiple new faculty and staff members. This month, four new teachers, one staff member and one administrator started at CAC, bringing new talent, perspective and knowledge to our school family.
At Pleasant Valley Elementary, Yahna Tucker is teaching pre-K 3. Tucker majored in English at Harding University and received her Master of Science degree in education. After adjunct teaching composition I and II at Harding, Tucker attended the University of Arkansas where she received her Master of Arts in English. Following graduate school, Tucker helped begin a Christian preschool in St. Louis, Missouri. She and her husband, Peyton, have three daughters: Mattie and Lucy, who are students at the PV campus, and Finley, who attends the PV day school.
On Mustang Mountain, Jimmy Teigen is teaching sixth grade English and Bible. Teigen spent the last 15 years working in ministry in Minnesota, Missouri and Illinois. He received a bachelor’s degree in English from Harding University and a master’s degree in Christian ministry from Harding School of Theology. He and his wife, Amber, have two children, Corrina and Finley, who started school at the PV campus last week.
Teaching seventh grade Arkansas history, geography and physical education is Zac Stewart. Stewart comes to CAC from Harding University where he graduated with a degree in kinesiology and a minor in social sciences. During his time at Harding, Stewart lettered four years in baseball and received All-Conference honors and academic All-Conference honors in 2016. In addition to his teaching duties, Stewart is serving as an assistant coach for the Mustang football and baseball teams.
Blake McNair is teaching seventh grade Bible and P.E. and will serve as assistant coach for the Mustang boys’ basketball team. McNair graduated from Harding University with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in teaching. During his time at Harding, McNair played basketball for the Bisons was a part of three conference championship teams and three NCAA tournaments. McNair will marry his fiancé, Bailey Clements, this October.
Also new on campus is secondary librarian Ian Thomas. A familiar face, Thomas is the husband of CAC drama director Jenna Thomas. Thomas received his bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Harding University and a master’s degree in English Literature from West Chester University. Prior to CAC, Thomas worked as a technician for Apple and taught composition at the University of Central Arkansas.
Stationed at Mustang Mountain yet active at all three campuses is new communications director Rachel Brackins. Brackins graduated from Harding University with her degree in public relations. During her time at Harding, Brackins acted as copy editor for The Bison newspaper. Prior to coming to CAC, she interned with Bikers Against Child Abuse, a nonprofit group dedicated to help empower children who have been abused, and spent the past three summers working at Camp Shiloh in New York.