Courtney Wells

Name: Courtney Wells
Department: Physical Education
Came to Blair in: 2012
Classes Taught: Soccer, and General P.E.
Education: Marywood University
Previous Jobs: A substitute teacher
Hobbies: Coaching JV softball, playing softball, hiking and running

"When my dad took me for the first time, it was awesome, I just felt the wind in my hair," Courtney Wells recalls her favorite memory as a child, when her dad took her for a spin on his motorcycle for the first time. Wells recalls this moment allowing her to truly do what she wants in life. Currently, Ms. Wells is having a good time during her first year at Blair, and as a full-time gym teacher. There's a lot of pressure but Ms. Wells loves the job, "It's a blast and I love the kids here at Blair," she said.

Wells's interest in teaching blossomed ever since she was a little kid. She's been working with kids ever since she was twelve years old; she loves kids and is great with them. Wells' aunt is also a teacher. To Wells, her aunt represents an inspiration, and someone who could make the talent of working with kids into a career choice.

"She my inspiration then and now," she says.

After graduating from the University of Marywood in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Wells struggled to find a job immediately. She returned to New York where she found a job as a substitute teacher for the school district. Wells had that occupation for three years.

Being a substitute teacher is nothing like being a full time teacher and Wells knew it. She would constantly look for jobs, and looked in multiple areas until Wells figured out she could not find any teaching jobs in the state of New York.

"I looked everywhere and found nothing," Wells concluded, "I needed to start looking out of state." After a long search, Wells found an open P.E. position at "Montgomery Blair High School" in the state of Maryland. She applied for the job and got it. Wells is grateful for the opportunity to be at Blair.

Wells was even more grateful when she found out that she would be the JV softball coach for Blair this season. Softball is a past time for Wells, it all started when she was very young, "I don't recall how old I was, and my mom asked me to play a sport. I had two choices, baseball with the boys, or softball with the girls. I chose softball," Wells recalls.

Wells continued to play softball, and became rather good at the sport. She loved it through high school but she always disliked her softball coaches growing up. This always inspired Wells that if she became a softball coach, she would be a better coach to her players, than her old coaches were to her. "I had bad coaches growing up, so naturally I wanted to be a better coach than what they were. They were for sure my inspiration to be a good coach," Wells says.

Overtime through college and being a substitute teacher Wells slowly gave up the game of softball. However, once Wells was employed at Montgomery Blair High School and she saw that there was an option to coach Blair JV softball, it was an option she couldn't refuse. She was excited to carry out the job better than the coaches who coached her growing up.

Currently as Blair's JV softball season progresses, Wells loves every minute of coaching, "I really enjoy coaching softball because I love the game and the girls on our team are great," Wells said.

Wells admits, it is difficult sometimes moving to a city very far from home with nobody she knows. What's helped her is some of the friends from college that she's kept in touch with over the years. Her college roommate even lives in Bethesda. "It was nice having someone close to you living here," Wells acknowledged.

It's very interesting how far one's love for a job can take them. Wells admitted the lack of teaching jobs in New York is the only reason she came to Blair. However, she is glad she did come to Blair because even though she has just entered the Blazer family, she loves it already and is glad she came here over anywhere else, "I'm just doing my job and its fun!" Wells said, "Hopefully I can stay at Blair and have even more fun here in the future."