Mandy Perez is a sixth-grade English language arts (ELA) teacher at Crittenden County Middle School in Marion, Kentucky. Her priority as an educator is to foster a love for lifelong learning and create enthusiasm for reading that expands beyond the classroom walls. Perez holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Education with an emphasis in guidance and counseling from Murray State University.

Perez always dreamed of becoming a teacher. As she embarked on her journey, she became the first person in her family to graduate college. Over the past 18 years, Perez has taken the utmost pride in celebrating her students’ growth, success and accomplishments in and outside the classroom. She started her career at Crittenden County Elementary School, where she taught third, fourth, and fifth grades. She has spent the last two years teaching sixth-grade math and ELA at Crittenden County Middle School.

As a teacher representative, Perez has been appointed to serve on the Coalition for Sustaining the Profession. At Crittenden Middle, Perez serves on the Curriculum and Instruction Committee and Literacy Committee, is the ELA content team leader, sixth-grade team leader and a new teacher mentor. Outside the classroom, Perez spends quality time with her family, especially nephews Maddox and Jackson, and her beloved four-legged furry best friend Lively Jo.