Twelve years ago, Sarah Tessier stood on the campus of Carl Sandburg College wondering if her path into education was the right one. She was a nontraditional student, a little older than most, juggling adult responsibilities with unfinished dreams. She had always loved the idea of teaching, but she thought her destination might be an elementary classroom.

Then a professor at Sandburg pulled her aside.

“He told me, ‘I really don’t think elementary education is your thing,’” Sarah recalls. “At first, I kind of laughed it off. But later, at Western, I decided to give special education a try.”

It didn’t take long to realize he was right. And Sarah hasn’t looked back since.

Today, she is one of Knoxville High School’s most committed special education teachers—a role she didn’t just grow into, but one that seems to have grown around her. “Once I got into my practicum and started working with students, I knew,” she says. “This is where I was supposed to be.”

Her work is complex, layered, and deeply human. Sarah co-teaches English, math, and government courses alongside general education colleagues, but also runs a transition curriculum for students preparing to leave high school and enter the adult world.

“That’s really the heart of our program,” she explains. “It’s not just about academics—it’s about helping students learn to function and succeed beyond high school. Career paths, life skills, social skills—everything they need to take the next step.”

Sarah’s approach is informed by her own experience as a student who sometimes struggled. “I had to repeat third grade,” she says. “We moved around a lot when I was young. I started kindergarten at four. I was always kind of behind.”

But those early struggles became a hidden strength. “I get it,” she says. “I understand why some students feel like they’re behind or frustrated. I’ve been there. That helps me build relationships.”

And relationships are at the center of her work.

“I have students for four years,” she says. “We build real trust. There’s one senior who calls me her emotional support animal,” she adds with a laugh. “But it’s real. They know I’m in their corner.”

It’s not just Sarah in that corner, either. She works closely with Susan Emmeliner and Kathy Tsang, forming what she calls “a shared brain” of collaboration and support. “We joke that if I’m not functioning one day, Susan or Kathy picks up the slack—and vice versa,” she says. “We’re a unit.”

And their reach extends far beyond the classroom. The team partners with Knox-Warren Special Education Cooperative, community agencies, and job coaches to help students access real-world opportunities and support networks. “It takes a village to get a kid out of high school sometimes,” Sarah says. “And we’ve built a good village here.”

Though not originally from Knoxville—Sarah grew up in Frankfort, Illinois—she and her husband (a Knoxville grad) deliberately chose to raise their family in the district. Their children now attend Knoxville schools. “We moved here so they could go here,” she says. “And working here while watching them grow up here has given me a whole new appreciation.”

The perspective she brings isn’t just academic—it’s generational, community-based, and honest about the evolving challenges young people face.

“Everything has changed in the last five years,” she says. “Not just because of the pandemic, but because of social media, tech, and home dynamics. We’re learning alongside them. We have to be flexible. We have to adjust.”

Sarah sees her role as part teacher, part guide, part steady presence. And she knows the value of simply showing up for students—day after day, year after year.

“We don’t always get to hear what we meant to them,” she says. “But once in a while, you do. And that’s everything.”

As Knoxville’s hallways continue to evolve, one thing remains constant: Sarah Tessier is right where she’s meant to be.