For Helyn “Lyn” Sullivan, teaching wasn’t the path she set out on after high school, but it’s the one that feels most like home.
Sullivan, Walker Gamble Elementary School’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, worked in retail management for several years before her growing family inspired her to change course.
She still remembers the moment clearly: her first Christmas Eve as a new mother.
“When you’re in retail, you’re expected to work holidays so others can have them off,” Sullivan said. “Even though I was only there until six, I remember sitting there realizing I wanted to be home with my son. I began to pray really hard for direction, and I knew the Lord would put me where I needed to be.”
She enrolled in general education courses at Williamsburg Technical College before transferring to Francis Marion University, where she earned a degree in early childhood education in 2014. Her young son, Ryan, was often in tow.
“There were times I brought him with me to class,” Sullivan recalled. “My professors were incredible. They understood my situation. That kind of support confirmed I was on the right path.”
She went on to complete a master’s degree in literacy studies at Coker College in 2018, but her most valuable lessons came from balancing the responsibilities of student, mother and future educator.
Her first classroom was at Lake City Early Childhood Center in Florence School District 3, where she taught first grade for eight years. Sullivan said she loved her time there, building strong bonds with colleagues and students.
“I told my principal when I left that it wasn’t because I was unhappy,” she said. “Lake City will always feel like home for me. But family schedules matter, and I needed to make a change.”
By that time, her oldest child was in high school at East Clarendon and her youngest, Kellen, was in elementary school. With different calendars and school days, Sullivan said she felt the pull to be closer to home.
“We prayed about it as a family,” she said. “I wanted more time with Ryan before he graduated and the chance for our schedules to line up.”
In 2021, Sullivan sent an email to then-Walker Gamble Principal Allen Kirby introducing herself and expressing interest in a position if one became available. Months later, he offered her a second-grade classroom.
“I knew then that this was where the Lord wanted me to be,” Sullivan said. “This school has an incredible culture and support system. I’ll never forget that Mr. Kirby gave me a chance, and I’m so grateful.”
Today, Sullivan teaches third grade English Language Arts and social studies, looping up with several of her former second graders. She describes her classroom as structured but fun, rooted in strong relationships with her students.
“My teaching style starts with love,” she said. “I want my students to know I’m here because I want to be with them. We laugh a lot, but there’s serious learning going on.”
One example is her popular “classroom bakery,” a hands-on math activity where students role-play as bakers and customers, practicing money skills with menus, play food, and even a Chic-fil-a day to close the unit.
Beyond academics, Sullivan emphasizes celebrating every milestone, from good grades to tying shoelaces. “It’s about making sure they know they’re loved and that we celebrate the little things,” she said.
Her commitment to students extends beyond the school day. She also serves as varsity cheerleading coach at East Clarendon High School, where she helps lead Wolverine Fridays—bringing football players and cheerleaders to Walker Gamble to greet younger students in the car line, paint faces and inspire school spirit.
Sullivan balances her work in the classroom with family life. She and her husband, Kelly, live in Lake City with Kellen, now a sixth grader at East Clarendon Middle School. Ryan is a sophomore at Presbyterian College.
When she learned she had been named Teacher of the Year, Sullivan was on a field trip with her daughter. A FaceTime call from Kirby and district representatives brought the news—and tears.
“To be recognized by people I’m in awe of every day is incredible,” Sullivan said. “I still don’t always feel worthy, but it’s something I’ll remember forever.”
Looking back, she said, her family has been at the heart of every big decision—from walking away from retail to pursuing her education to joining Walker Gamble.
“I really loved my previous school, and Lake City will always feel like home,” she said. “But I plan on never leaving Walker Gamble. This is where I’m meant to be.”
