Gandy: Teacher, student empowerment key

“I think we should empower one another and I think that teachers should do it for students and students should do it for teachers,” said new social studies teacher Laurin Gandy about what qualities make a good teacher.

Gandy said that the qualities that she looks for in a good student are empathy and respect. What matters to her is when students show that they care about the education she is giving.

“I want people to do well in my class and most importantly I want them to put in the work and show me they want to be in my class” she said. “You're born with your IQ , but I think the true measure of a student is how hard they work.”

She encourages students to work hard in her class and show that they care.

Gandy became very interested in government and politics at a very young age.

“When I was a little kid, nobody really knows how or why I got interested in it but as soon as I could read a campaign sign I was bugging my mom and dad about what it meant,” she said. “I've spent my adult life mostly working in campaigns in government and you just reach a point dividing up your career by election cycles and having to live out of your car and sleep on couches.”

Gandy said she reached a point in her career in government and politics where she wanted a more stable career that was local.

“I was already here. Everything sort of fell into place and I enjoy being here,” said Gandy about her role at WF.

Gandy said she enjoys her job here at West Florence High School. She also loves the opportunities she has had in her life. She loves traveling and exploring new places and seeing the differences in other places.

“I got to spend a lot of time in Washington D.C, I've spent a lot of time in big cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Columbus so I've got to see the US through my job and I've got to see all kinds of people. Spend enough time in these places to sort of get a feel of what life feels like outside of the south. It's neat to see how other people live,” said Gandy.

Gandy grew up in Hartsville, South Carolina and graduated from Wofford College. She majored

in English, then earned a Master’s degree in social sciences from The Citadel and worked in government and politics.

Outside of school Gandy enjoys being outdoors.

“In general, probably my most effective stress reliever is exercise,” she said.

She and her husband live out in the country. She also has a love for animals. She has 5 dogs, 50 different birds, chickens, ducks, quail, guineas, and a pet turtle. She also enjoys cooking and eating.