This week’s Faculty Focus spotlights one of Rocky Mount Academy’s wonderful new additions to Lower School, Mrs. Amy Quigley! It has not taken Mrs. Quigley long to shine as RMA’s 5th grade Language Arts teacher. Mrs. Quigley was born in Durham, NC at what is now the NC School of Math and Science, and as her father is a United Methodist minister, she moved several times over the course of her childhood. After growing up in Hillsborough, Graham, New Bern, and Wilmington, Mrs. Quigley graduated from John T. Hoggard High School, which also happens to be the rival to the high school where Micheal Jordan played basketball! Mrs. Quigley went on to attend North Carolina Wesleyan College with a B.S. degree in Elementary Education. After teaching for several years, she continued her education through her certification in Academically or Intellectually Gifted. 

Mrs. Quigley is incredibly experienced in the classroom, and it shows as her 5th graders love both her personality and teaching style! Mrs. Quigley taught at Englewood Elementary for thirty years, where she also did her student teaching with Kindergarteners and 5th graders. The first year of her career took place in the 1st grade classroom, and the next four years in the 3rd grade classroom. She then began providing enrichment and acceleration opportunities for all grades of elementary students. When asked what helped her decide to work with elementary aged children, Mrs. Quigley stated, “I have always felt more comfortable teaching lower school students. I love nurturing those young minds and it is so exciting seeing their enthusiasm for learning. However, as my own children were growing up, I enjoyed working with the youth group at church.” It is no secret that the elementary classroom is the perfect environment for her!

Mrs. Quigley is also very active outside of school and keeps herself busy! She enjoys daily exercise and even trained to run her first half marathon before breaking the fifth metatarsal in her right foot. Mrs. Quigley is also very involved in artistic and musical activities. She currently enjoys canvas painting parties with her friends. A talented singer, Mrs. Quigley has many fond memories of trips taken during her time as a member of the chorus in both middle and high school. She noted that her most memorable experience as a chorus member was singing in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City! No matter what activity Mrs. Quigley is partaking in, she is sure to surround herself with good company and mentioned that she treasures her time with her husband, her two adult sons, and her lab, Samantha. We are so glad that Mrs. Quigley has joined the Rocky Mount Academy team and are so grateful that she shares her incredible talent and loving personality with us all!

Get to know Mrs. Quigley!

What made you want to pursue a career in teaching? I have always wanted to be a teacher.  I remember playing school with my Barbie dolls pretending they were my students.  Our neighbors would come home from school with us most days and I would have my brother and both girls be “my students” as I “taught” them from my chalkboard.  When my family moved to New Bern, my neighbor was a third-grade teacher.  I couldn’t wait for her to come home each afternoon so I could listen to her share about her teaching adventure each day and help her check papers.  As I continued to grow, I was always interested in volunteering with the children’s Sunday School and Vacation Bible School at church.  I loved working with children and I never considered any other career.

What is something that nobody knows about you? Something that most people would not know about me is that I met Arnold Schwarzenegger while in high school.  He was in Wilmington filming a movie.  My friend and I went to buy a poster board for a school project. While in the store, he was in there buying medicine for a bad cold.  His bodyguard was bigger than he was!  

What is your favorite TV show and why?  Some of my TV shows…”Gray’s Anatomy,”  “Love It or List It,” and “Home Town.”

What is your biggest pet peeve? My biggest pet peeve would be obnoxious sneezes!

What is your favorite part of being at RMA? My favorite part of being at RMA is being able to continue to do what I love…teaching and nurturing students to be the best they can be!