Tammy Graves began her first year as a teacher at Edmond Memorial High School, starting the 2021-2022 school with a new look. Graves is taking over as the new Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) teacher as former long time DECA advisor Kim Walters retired last year. 

“I have taught most recently at Putnam City West and Putnam City North and then at Santa Fe before that,” Graves said. 

This is Graves 16th year teaching, and her experience in the DECA program is nothing new. 

“I’ve always taught marketing, management and entrepreneurship at the schools I formally taught at,” Graves said.

Graves is very thrilled to be a Bulldog, sharing her reasons on what led her to choose Edmond Memorial as her new home. 

DECA is a big deal at Memorial. Over 100 students are in the program, and it is constantly growing with state competitions and events held all throughout the year.

“My expectations for this year is for students to learn a lot, with tons of my students going to DECA state. I want them to place; that’s my goal. It’s always my goal to have like 50 kids at state competing,” Graves said.

Memorial houses great teachers, with great students and tradition, the bulldog spirit is like no other.

“Memorial is a great school with lots of tradition, lots of school spirit and great kids,” Graves said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged teachers in a very new and unfamiliar way, and is something teachers have had to adapt to the past two years. When asked how she has planned to deal with Covid in the classroom, Graves has a plan.

“Well it looks like we need to start wearing masks again, and I’ve been cleaning and encouraging people to use sanitizer more,” Graves said.

Dealing with the pandemic is not the only challenge or difference Graves will face.

Walters retired with one of the best DECA programs in the state of Oklahoma, leaving a legacy at Memorial that should continue to be remembered.

“Kim is a great friend of mine for one thing and she’s built a great program here and I just want to continue it with a lot of the same traditions and keep building on what she has been able to accomplish here,” Graves said.

Graves looks to continue Walters’ legacy while starting her own here at Edmond Memorial, and looks forward to her future of teaching here.

Contact Jaden Scamehorn at [email protected]