Lisa Atkins Joins Academic Department
By McKensie Wallesen, UIL Intern | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 9:33 AM
Lisa Atkins joined the academic department this fall.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
Newly-hired academic administrative assistant Lisa Atkins is not afraid of a little color. Her shiny white office walls are lined with whimsical quilted wall hangings that her mom handmade using bright dyed and hand painted fabrics. She whips out her phone to find a picture of her former 10th grade English classroom.
“This is only a fraction of what was in my old room,” she said. “It was wall-to-wall decorations. I just feel like it’s more inspiring than white walls.”
UIL Academic Director Dr. David Stevens and the rest of the academics staff have taken a liking to Atkins’s creative flare, but they also like her work ethic and dedication.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Atkins's caliber working with us in the academic department,” Stevens said. “She brings a calm demeanor and professionalism to the office everyday and is successfully able to complete any task that comes her way.”
While earning her degree at the University of North Texas, Atkins worked as an administrative assistant. After graduating from UNT with a teaching degree, Atkins worked for AmeriCorps for ten months, helping underprivileged students in San Diego and Anchorage.
“I gained so much perspective,” Atkins said. “I worked with kids who would cross the Mexican border to go to school everyday.”
She worked intense 15-hour days and lived with the same colleagues she taught with during the day.
“I learned teamwork and patience out of necessity,” she said. “We couldn’t afford not to get along.”
Atkins took those skills to her latest job, teaching sophomore grade English and ESL at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas. For one of her assignments, she asked her ESL students to make an object out of clay that most represented them. She still has a large pink butterfly on her UIL desk made by a former student.
“ESL was the best,” she said. “I always felt like they were excited to be there and they were so much fun.”
While at Lehman, Atkins noticed that UIL activities kept students engaged in school beyond what was required. That sparked her interest in working at UIL.
“I had a lot of UIL students, and I saw how it motivated them,” she said. “Anything that makes students want to stay after school to do poetry must be a good thing.”
Now that she in comfortable in her decorated office, Atkins is looking forward to learning the ropes in her new position in academics.
“I’m very happy to be in a position to do things for teachers, students and administrators, no matter what it is they need,” she said.