L-S graduate returns home to teach Spanish at alma mater

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Mrs. Becky McConnell
The language department at Lampeter-Strasburg High School includes many wonderful teachers, some of which have been a part of the District since they were students here themselves. On of this year's additions to the faculty is Mrs. Becky McConnell.

She replaces 32 year teaching veteran Mr. Angelo Albanese who retired last spring.

McConnell is a cultured, experienced, and fascinating person who has already traveled the world since graduating from L-S in 2003.

McConnell attended Shippensburg University and participated in missionary work in eleven different countries--Peru, Bolivia, South Africa, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Swaziland, Malawi, Mozambique, and Thailand--through WorldRace.org. She feels that her mission work truly shaped her to be the person she is today.

While in these countries she aided people in a red light district, was held at gunpoint, and temporarily lived in horrible conditions that people suffer through everyday such as being completely covered in fleas and living in tents for shelter. McConnell says that seeing all of these challenging and depressing conditions made her appreciate what she has and helps her decipher what is really important in life.

McConnell put a heavy emphasis on wanting to help empower people as her goal in life. The individuals that have contributed the most to who she is today are her and her husband’s close friends they met in Spain, and her advisors at G42 Leadership Academy. 

Some of her favorite places include Lake Tahoe, for its beauty, Peru, for its welcoming and friendly people that McConnell says treat you like family upon introduction, and Northern Spain for the memories of meeting her husband, attending a semester abroad, and her close friends.

Isn’t it intriguing that everyone has experienced something you haven’t and firmly believe that everyone has at least one great story to share. No? 

For one day try talking to as many people as you can, ask them as many questions as possible. See what you notice. Pay attention to what you pay attention to. Look at those people, look at yourself, and then look at the world. Notice if it looks the same. I doubt it will. At least for a day.

Special thanks to Mrs.McConnell for sitting down with us for this interview and changing some perspectives.

--Hannah Stauffer, LS News Reporter 
Edited: AZ

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