By Derrick Smith

Role models have an impact on the lives of young people. The cool thing is that the impression that they made on that student does not always end when the student graduates and goes to the workforce. In the case of Lacye Russell, she became a teacher because of some of the teachers that made a difference in her life. 

“I have had a few teachers that helped shape me into the person I am today,” she said. “Mrs. Helene Lambert and Ms. Beverly Montgomery were my middle school art and English teachers.  They gave a shy preteen the confidence to take over the world.  Also,  Marie Bukowski and Peter Jones- two of my art professors at Louisiana Tech University.”  

Russell is the art, photography, and yearbook teacher for sixth through twelfth grade students at Oklahoma Bible Academy. She has been a teacher at OBA for five years, but has also taught at Arkansas State University Mid-South, Oklahoma City Community College, University of Central Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Christian University.”

Art has been a passion of Russell’s for a majority of her life. In fact, she remembers how one of her art teachers made her want to be one too.

“I’ve wanted to be an art instructor since I was in elementary school,” she said. “I thought my fourth grade art teacher, Mrs. Stephanie Busbea, was the coolest person ever and I wanted to be just like her. And here I am teaching art, just like she did.”

While she enjoys art, another thing that Lacye loves about teaching art to students is the relationships that she is able to build. 

“I enjoy the relationship with the students,” she stated. “I love seeing their confidence grow when they realize that they “can do it.” 

Lacye is married to her husband, Matt, and they have three children, Beau, Luke, and Hannah. When she is not teaching art at OBA, she enjoys spending time with family, going to church at Crosspoint Church, baking and cooking, and bragging on her art students.