ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Christine Howell is adored by her students at Orange Park High School, and after speaking with her, it’s easy to see why.
After winning a 2024 Hyundai Tucson as part of News4JAX’s Hometown Heroes contest, we caught up with Howell, who shared why she takes her role as a teacher so seriously, calling it “her calling,” and why she spends time investing in the youth.
While speaking with News4JAX, Howell was surrounded by current and former students who held signs reading “We love Mrs. Howell!” and “Thank you for being our home Mrs. Howell!”
“When I was in high school, I was very poor,” Howell explained. “My dad died when I was 12 and my mother had mental health issues, so I had two teachers that really believed in me, my drama teacher and my English teacher, and they got me a full scholarship to college.”
She continued, “Every day, I’m trying to give back the same way that [those teachers] gave me the life that I have.”
Howell says the feeling of seeing a student graduate and pursue higher education like medical school or law school is extremely special.
“What’s really cool is when they graduate and I get to write one of their [recommendation] letters, and it’s amazing to see, especially at Orange Park High School, those kids be able to thrive and go to college,” she said.
Howell also spends time helping kids become better public speakers, helping them with sports, or even beauty pageants.
“I think the big drive is, I chose to be a teacher, so I’m never going to make a ton of money and I’m not going to be able to take it with me, but I really feel like I’ve created an army of kids who are going to go out in the world and flourish,” Howell notes.
Howell’s interview with News4JAX concluded with her mentioning that while she may be a little tired, the drive remains stronger than ever to help kids achieve their goals.