What professors or classes do you remember the most? Hannah: Every professor I had was really supportive, very encouraging and positive. I really enjoyed my math and science classes, but honestly, some of my favorite classes were with Dr. (Robert) Brown, who taught history. He was a storyteller type of teacher, and he just made it fascinating. Abbey: Jim Hewlett had my two older sisters before me. My sisters did the whole, “This is what teacher you take for this class,” so they immediately said, “You gotta take a class with him.” He was great and definitely one of those teachers you would think would be at a four-year university doing research. Emma: Kelli Prior’s teaching style really resonated with me. The way she explained things was very thorough. She was brilliant and could have done anything, but you saw her passion for teaching. I took Barb Kruger’s Spanish class my first semester. She was awesome, and she led our trip to Spain. It gave me the experience of Spanish culture and gave me a passion to learn the language. Coming out of that, one of my goals is to try to take an international trip every other year. 6 | theLAKER from the cover One family, eight Lakers The Andrew siblings – six girls and two boys – grew up on the family’s dairy farm, El-Vi Farms. Many of the siblings started their FLCC classes at the Newark Campus Center, about two miles from the farm. The proximity was a godsend because some of the eight homeschooled teens were too young to drive at first. The daughters are close in age, so their years at FLCC often overlapped, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to take classes together. Abbey recalls getting advice from Vic Fernandez, who guided students going directly from homeschool to FLCC. Over time, the older Andrews recommended classes and professors to their younger siblings. The younger ones took the advice to heart. “I’m number six in the lineup,” said Emma. “I think that’s why, for me, I had nothing but really good professor experiences.” Emma’s sisters encouraged her to go to the academic support centers, regardless of whether she was stumped with an assignment. “I’m glad I spent a lot of time in those centers and learned so much more outside of class. It’s a free resource that can really help break things down for you.” Beyond her own family, Hannah finds herself sharing her FLCC experiences with colleagues at Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic. “Every now and then, I’ll run into people working in the hospital, and they’ll say we had a class together, so it’s just a nice connection.” Abbey Copenhaver led a summer camp session in Geneva last year with help from her brother, Will Andrew. Emma Swarthout
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