Optimistic, caring, and outgoing are the three words that could describe Dr. Terri Estes, the principal of LCM High School.

Before beginning her career as an educator, Estes studied at A&M University and graduated with a degree in biology, hoping to work in a medical lab. She worked at the Ag Farm for one summer, where she spent many hours looking through a microscope, running the same test repeatedly. During this time, she discovered that this was not her true passion and wasn’t something she wanted to do.

“I didn’t like the fact that I was not with people,” Estes said. “I didn’t like that at all and so I decided I better do something different.”

After graduating, Estes went on to work for a company that sold lab equipment and did the sales over the phone. She discovered her passion when the company went to take the equipment out to plants and she would teach the engineers how to use them. She enjoyed teaching them and decided to go back to school to receive her teaching certificate.

“I liked doing that part so I thought: Well, really, this is just teaching these guys how they’re doing it,” Estes said.

As a biology teacher, she enjoyed seeing the kids every day, getting to know them, and letting them get to know her.  It was a remarkable experience for her to watch them grow and predict how their futures were going to turn out. She was completely invested in the students and still is.

“The best thing about educating students is getting them to see what their future might be and then having them come back and saying: ‘Look, this is what we did, this is where I am now,’” Estes said.

She is currently working to get the new building up for the school after the bond was passed two years ago. Although it will take time and money, she said she will make it happen with much determination and optimism. She believes that anything is possible if you work hard for it and put your individual talents into it.

“Every kid has certain individual talents and I want them to be able to explore that and learn,” Estes said. “I want learning to be fun and exciting.”

According to Estes, she spends most of her time with the school and its students but in her spare time, she enjoys watching sports. She supports the Aggies, but is willing to make a couple of Texan games for her sons.

“I live and die with the Aggies,” Estes said. “My youngest two sons went to Texas State so they don’t really hang to my Aggie obsession.”

She also enjoys a good movie every now and then. Her favorite actor is Tom Hanks, who has appeared in movies such as: Cast Away, Toy Story, and Captain Phillips.

“I think Tom Hanks is an everyday Joe who I’d enjoy hearing about the movie he’s been in and the people he knows,” Estes said. “He seems like somebody you could just really talk to.”