Mrs. Sandra Tucker is an amazing entrepreneurship teacher and a wonderful mentor. Described as the most kind by students, she joined the Academies of Loudoun in 2021. Mrs. Tucker brings her expertise and enthusiasm for learning to the freshmen of the entrepreneurship pathway in AET.

Mrs. Tucker was born and raised in Fairfax, Virginia, and graduated from Justice High School (formerly known as JEB Stuart High School). Mrs. Tucker then became a  at Virginia Tech. At Virginia Tech, Mrs. Tucker went in as an accounting major, but she didn’t find the major as fulfilling as she expected. During that time, Mrs. Tucker discovered marketing education. How it lets people express themselves in such a creative manner was something she believed accounting didn’t offer her. So, she switched majors to marketing education, but she didn’t become a teacher until 11 years later.

Before becoming a teacher, Mrs. Tucker was a project manager on a Department of Defense contract. At the time, the internet was a new and promising resource, and the Department of Defense wanted to make the most of it. As part of this initiative, Mrs. Tucker and her team received a contract to digitize the blueprints for all military vehicles including ships, planes, and tanks.

Now, Mrs. Tucker teaches at two different schools: Rock Ridge High School and the Academies of Loudoun. Every A-Day, she’s normally teaching seniors in DE marketing classes, and every B-Day, she’s teaching freshmen in Entrepreneurship I.

When asked about her thoughts on what it’s like to teach at both Rock Ridge and the Academies, Mrs. Tucker said, “It’s actually really interesting. I get a different perspective every day.” At Rock Ridge, it’s a family. Mrs. Tucker has been there for a long time, so she knows everyone and everything. She runs the school store there as well. At the Academies, it’s innovation. She has the creative freedom to teach how she feels is best for her students. Mrs. Tucker utilizes many interactive methods in her teachings. For example, in one of her lessons of SWOT analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat), Mrs. Tucker asked her students to perform the analysis on Dunkin Doughnuts. To accompany this lesson, Mrs. Tucker brought in doughnuts.

In addition to being a teacher, Mrs. Tucker is also on the Board of Trustees in Virginia DECA, a student organization that is connected to marketing classes in the state. DECA gives students opportunities to apply concepts learned in class in the real world. As one of the two Region 1 representatives for Loudoun, Mrs. Tucker’s role is like that of a liaison. Both her and Ms. Heather VanDyke, the other Region 1 representative, from Briar Woods High School relay information between Loudoun and Virginia DECA.

Mrs. Tucker’s strong work ethic is inherited from her mother, whom she admires as her first role model. She was a single mother and worked very hard to provide for her family. After her experiences in teaching, Mrs. Tucker also admires other teachers, who make learning fun and interesting. To make sure her teaching stays fresh and exciting, she looks to their example. Mrs. Tucker plans to continue teaching for the next 7 years and building the entrepreneurship program, improving it each year.

In October, Mrs. Tucker was the main sponsor for the Pink Out event for breast cancer awareness at the Academies. Mrs. Tucker and her mother were both survivors of breast cancer, and Pink Out is her way to help other families battling breast cancer. Pink Out was hosted in coordination with Step Sisters and Loudoun Breast Health Network, two non-profit organizations in the area that assist families suffering with breast cancer in many ways. The $2,500 raised was donated to the two organizations.

“Look for things that you can embrace and become passionate about,” Mrs. Tucker concluded. For anyone trying to find out where they want to go in the future, “focus on them as a career or project.”

written by Edward Christopher

edited by Saanvi Gutta