YORK COUNTY — Alexia Perkins knew that being a teacher was her calling, all thanks to her fifth grade teacher.
“It was in Mrs. Bryant’s class that I knew teaching was for me. In elementary school, everyone wants to be a teacher because that’s what you see every day. It was in that class that I truly said to myself, ‘I want to be a teacher,’ and I’ve never steered away from that. I remember that she made me feel important and loved and special in her class. I wanted to be her, I wanted to emulate her, I loved everything about her and who she was,” Perkins said.
After graduating from high school, Perkins enrolled in community college and worked full time at an accounting firm to pay for school. As she decided upon a four-year school to earn her bachelor’s degree, the drive to be a teacher was still high. Her first stop in the educator world was as a para-educator.
“When I signed the papers to become a para-educator, I remember the HR lady saying that she wanted to meet me in person because she wasn’t sure I had realized what a significant pay cut I was taking to become a para. I told her that I knew teaching was my calling and my dream and that the pay cut was a short-term sacrifice for a long-term gain,” Perkins said.
Perkins officially signed the paperwork and became a para-educator at Coventry Elementary School.
From rough nights studying in the Old Dominion University library to failing the PRAXIS exam multiple times, the road to becoming a certified teacher was not an easy one. While in school, she also lost her mom to cancer. According to Perkins, that’s what makes her story worth telling.
“When I share my story, I have to talk about the road blocks, the defeats, the heartache, the grief, the ‘nos’ that I faced and each one of those were hurdles that I had to overcome. Yet through it all, I never gave up on my dream,” Perkins said.
Now a certified third grade teacher in York County School Division, Perkins has cultivated a social media presence as Ms. Perky Perkins. Her Facebook page showcases various activities and worksheets that her class does, classroom decorating tips, lesson planning advice, teacher fashion, and more.
However, setting out to be an influencer for teachers was never the goal.
“I started originally as a way to give back to teachers how they gave to me. Even if it was just the smallest idea, I wanted to give that back to the community because that’s what the community gave for me. From there, it kind of took off on its own,” Perkins said.
Perkins also attends conferences for teachers throughout the year. In 2022, one of those gave her the surprise of a lifetime: naming her the national Get Your Teach On Gold Star Teacher of the Year.
“I couldn’t believe it. It was only my third year teaching, the year before that I was nominated for school-wide Teacher of the Year but I didn’t win. Who would have even thought that I would be where I am today? I felt like that was a testament that this is exactly where I am supposed to be. I’m a person where I don’t think I am worthy of things, and that award was confirmation that I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing,” Perkins said.
Her classroom, affectionately known as Perky Pupil Land, is a place that she hopes will inspire the next generation of teachers.
“If I can be a Mrs. Bryant for one of my students, I’ve done my job,” Perkins said.
To learn more about Perkins, follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
