This year’s South Teacher of the Year is fifth-year business teacher, Lindsey Perkins.

Perkins is popular among both staff and students, known for excitedly hosting assemblies, running the DECA club, and being a prominent part of the DECA New York trip experience–and that’s just outside of the classroom. 

“Mrs. Perkins is a teacher full of energy and always has a smile on her face. She respects students and makes learning fun,” senior Madi Schmidt said.

Perkins currently teaches Marketing 1 and Marketing 2. Schmidt has Perkins for Marketing 2. She said she loves the environment of her class as well as the knowledge she is able to use both inside and outside the walls of South.

“Mrs Perkins has a comfortable classroom that puts students at ease. She has an organized way of teaching to not overwhelm students. She has taught me what to do in real life situations–anything from business and smart marketing techniques to street smarts, and everything in between,” she said.

Surprising for most students, Perkins said she didn’t start off as a teacher. She worked at State Farm insurance and for Logan College of Chiropractic before deciding to become a teacher. 

“My grandma was a principal’s secretary and loved working at schools, she always told me I would end up being a teacher; however, after high school I majored in Business and Marketing Management at UMSL and worked in business for a few years. Eventually, I realized that my grandma was right, and I was destined to be a teacher,” Perkins said.

She said her own high school experience has inspired the way she teaches and her involvement outside of the classroom as well.

“My high school business teacher was the best. I feel like I only took business classes! He was also involved with DECA, which I was a member of, which makes my involvement in South’s DECA chapter even more special. We’re still in touch and he had a huge impact on my life,” she said.

Perkins strives to impact students’ lives positively in the long run in addition to the present.

“When kids, especially seniors, leave my class saying that they’re going to major in marketing or business because of my class, or tell me how my class has changed their lives… there’s no feeling like it. Knowing that I have helped just one kid to shape the course of their life is the most rewarding aspect of teaching,” Perkins said.

Senior and Marketing 2 student Luke Smith said he has learned much more than a Marketing textbook could teach him.

“I’ve learned how to problem solve from her class, we have a problem, we have to fix it. It’s a lot of real-life situations that we’re going to run into in the future. I’ll understand how to act in the real world, not just in the classroom. She’s preparing us for life past school,” Smith said.