Katrina Owen has always had a love for reading and introducing literature to people. Now, she gets to turn that love into a career that she is passionate about.

The English III and English IV teacher said that when she was younger she used to read to her little sister during trips or outings, but she did not truly discover her desire to teach until years later.

“I think being an English teacher sparked when I was in high school and helped my friends with their writing and such,” Owen said. “They’d always complain that I should just tell them what to do, and I’d respond by saying, ‘But you can do it! You just have to try.’”

Owen said she loves her job and there is something particular about the job itself that all teachers love.

“There is this moment, sometimes lots of them, when you see a student’s interest spark and they are suddenly so interested and amazed with the topic and what they are doing,” Owen said. “It’s that look of curiosity and confidence that makes teaching wonderful.”

Over the past three years, Owen has served as the sponsor of the Anime Club and said it is one of the most personally fulfilling things she has ever done. The club meets in her classroom once a week to share their love for the animated Japanese productions and they also have a movie night once a month – something that all of the club members have come to anticipate.

“All of these students are so special and unique, and so often they get labeled and shoved to the side,” Owen said. “When I was in school I was treated much the same. I was the girl always reading: comics, books, manga. My friends knew my interests, but few ever shared them. It often made me feel alone or wrong. That is why I am the sponsor of Anime Club. I want to provide a place for these kids to belong and enjoy their time in high school.”

When she’s not teaching, Owen also has a side to her that many people don’t see – she has a big love for Disney World, which she claims to be the happiest place on earth.

“I have been over to those parks so often that I frequently give directions to people and many times have been asked if I work there,” she said. “I have ridden every ride hundreds of time and been there for most holidays at least once in my life. My dad and I are adrenaline junkies, so we are always competing over whom can ride the most rides, or get the front seat the most often. My mother and I have spent more money in the shops there than I care to remember. I could probably pay off my house!”

Speaking of houses, Owen recently bought her own home and is proud to say she was the first of her generation to do so. She said it has been difficult to manage her finances and bills, but it has made her very happy to have a place to call her own, in her hometown.

“I was born and raised here,” she said. “I became the teacher I am today because of the men and women at LCM that taught me the importance of education in the world, and the importance of those who teach.”