DeKalb GA News

In the front left corner of Steven Etcher's desk sits a photo that resonates deeply with his second-grade students. The picture shows a young Steven on his first day of kindergarten at Kingsley Elementary School, overwhelmed by the challenges of starting school.

Now in his second year of teaching at Kingsley Elementary, Mr. Etcher shares with his students that he once walked the same halls and faced similar challenges. "I always tell my students that I was a student here just to show them that I was them," Mr. Etcher says. "I feel students can relate. It’s easier for them to relate to a teacher at this school."

Mr. Etcher has deep ties to the Dunwoody community, having attended Kingsley, Peachtree Middle School, and Dunwoody High School, where he graduated in 2015. Initially pursuing an accounting degree at Kennesaw State University, he realized his true passion lay elsewhere. "I wasn’t sure if accounting was exactly what I wanted to do," he said.

His path shifted after coaching baseball with his former travel club, the Diablos, at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody. This experience ignited his passion for teaching children and shaping their futures. Today, he continues to coach as head of the freshman baseball team at Dunwoody High School.

"Coaching opened my eyes to the career of working with children and bettering the youth," Mr. Etcher explains. "I love teaching. It’s something new every day."

Kingsley Elementary was his top choice when beginning his teaching career, and a position opened up just as he was ready to apply. "When I was a student here, it was a tremendous experience," he says.

One of Mr. Etcher's mentors is Dr. Phyllis Ingram, now the reading and math specialist at Kingsley Elementary. She remembers him as a curious third grader who was kind and inclusive in her classroom during her first year as a homeroom teacher.

"Steven had the natural curiosity of a 3rd grade student," Dr. Ingram recalls. "His ability to work with others made everyone feel included."

Seeing her former student thrive as a colleague is meaningful for Dr. Ingram, who describes Mr. Etcher as self-motivated and dedicated to excellence in teaching.

"Knowing Steven’s journey from being in my class to now having him as a colleague is truly fulfilling," she says.

For Mr. Etcher, impacting students' lives is a responsibility he embraces wholeheartedly: "One thing that I thought about with teaching and coaching is you don’t know the impact you can have on somebody’s life until you do make an impact on someone’s life."

As Mr. Etcher walks through Kingsley Elementary's halls where his educational journey began, he exemplifies how childhood challenges and caring educators shape us into who we are meant to be.