Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill

The classroom is tucked away on the lower floor of Dora High School. Walk too quickly down the hall and you might miss the door. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not particularly special, but it is a science teacher’s dream room—connected to the lab. Kimber Sanford teaches three sections of high school biology in this classroom every day, and yes, this unassuming classroom is her dream room, but for reasons beyond it being connected to the lab.

“When I was a student here, I would sit in class in this room and envision myself teaching biology to a room full of students, and now, that’s my reality,” Kimber says, seemingly taken aback by the verbalization of that thought. 

A lifelong love for animals combined with a talent for connecting with others led Kimber to pursue a degree in science education. She just began her tenth year of teaching at Dora. Ten years spent anywhere can make it feel like home, but the walls of the school have surrounded Kimber for longer than the last decade.

"Dora High School is just an extension of me at this point," she laughs. "I come from a family of Dora graduates, and I graduated as salutatorian from here in 2006. I met my husband here in our freshman keyboarding class, and now our kids get to come run around the halls and become familiar with the school they’ll likely attend when they get older. In so many ways, Dora is a part of who I am.”

In addition to teaching biology, Kimber is also Dora’s head volleyball coach, assistant women’s basketball coach, and Beta Club co-sponsor. Her mornings are dedicated to classroom instruction, while afternoons and evenings are spent in the gym. Teaching and coaching are as deeply a part of who Kimber is as the school where she teaches because they allow her to be a source of support for her students and athletes. Kimber’s goal as a teacher and a coach is to help her students be the best they can be and rise above any circumstances they feel could limit them. She notes that before any educator can effectively convey an academic topic or an athletic concept to a student, it’s imperative to meet them where they are emotionally.

“I have been where these kids are, figuratively and literally, and I know that what helped me to be my best was consistent support,” Kimber says. “I think often about how my parents were, and still are, my support system, going to all my games, helping me with my schoolwork, and hearing my feelings regardless of if I was sad or happy. A lot of these kids have that same support from their families, but some don’t, and I’m here to freely give it, even to those that have it. Getting to know them and support them is a blessing.”

Much like the unassuming door to Kimber Sanford’s dream classroom, doors of opportunity are often easy to miss without someone to guide you along the way. Because of her steadfast support and encouragement, Kimber’s students will continue to open doors they never knew possible for years to come. 78