Teachers enter the education field for a variety or reasons. For some, it could be a profession that they have dreamed of since they were children, while others feel a calling to it. For Emily Holland, it was things falling into place at the right time.

“My last few years of college were a time of immense spiritual growth,” she said. “I had countless mentors and friends and bible study teachers pour into me, and so upon graduation I committed to pouring myself into others. I, who had never even moved out of my hometown for college, moved thousands of miles away, to live and teach English in Nicaragua at an English academy owned by a church member. I was fortunate to find my way back into the world of education when my husband got a job that led us to Enid and was given the opportunity to merge my two passions, literature and my faith in Jesus Christ, at Oklahoma Bible Academy.”

Holland teaches English to high school students at OBA. She and her husband, Blair, have two boys, three-year old Watson and six-month-old Banner.

Being an educator is something that Emily enjoys because it allows her to make an impact on her students.

“I love that at OBA I can share a biblical perspective as we teach through secular material,” she said. “I enjoy the relationships I have made with faculty members and students that mutually edify and encourage.”

Throughout her life, Holland has been given various pieces of advice. And she has one that plays an impact on her teaching to this day.

“The best advice I have been given in regard to teaching is to always keep learning,” she said. “In my case, I am always studying the historical influences and lives of the authors behind the literary works I am teaching in class. I’m constantly reading young adult novels to build my classroom library collection and be able to recommend quality books to students.”