All About Me!
Hello new friends! My name is Lora Thaxton! I am from Wakulla, a small county south of Tallahassee. I am studying Information Sciences, which is really exciting for me because my mom graduated from this program (here at FSU) in 2008!
The coolest thing about me is my after-school hobbies! I am one of the 420 world-renowned Marching Chiefs. I play the mellophone (which is a marching French horn). I love being a Marching Chief, because of the friendships and fun we have. One of my favorite memories was getting to go to New Orleans, Louisiana with the band as a first-year member. This trip was exciting for all kinds of reasons: being in a college band for the first time, being in NOLA without my parents, and being surrounded by friends. The trip and location itself was incredibly special to me, because my dad (a second generation Marching Chief) asked my mom (a first generation Marching Chief) out on a date in the Super Dome where we would play LSU. The night after the game, my friends and I went on a crusade for ice cream (and spoons, which are harder to find than you might think) while the entire French Quarter was celebrating. We finished the night in our hotel room, sitting on the floor eating our ice cream and watching ESPN play our ending field goal block as one of their top ten plays.
When I am not representing the school in my Chiefs attire, I am usually found teaching. I graduated in Spring 2024 with my bachelor’s from FSU-Teach Mathematics. Right now, I am a sub for a 7th grade reading class at my middle school in Wakulla. I love what I do, and I am so excited to begin teaching on my own one day, whether that be reading or math. I am getting this degree so I can one day pursue a librarian job at a middle school and become ALA accredited.
Honestly, when looking at this class, I was a little nervous. I have little to no experience in doing any sort of editing. I am excited to learn how to edit because it will allow me to better my own skills for when I teach and create lessons. Librarians, especially those who work in schools, have to have many talents that they can use to get people excited about books.
I cannot wait to meet all of you and get to know you within this class!
Its so amazing that you’re a Marching Chief! The mellophone is cool. I used to play trumpet (in middle school–nowhere near the level you play) and the brass section of a band has always had some of my favorite sounds.
Being a substitute teacher sounds pretty rough to me, especially for middle schoolers, but hopefully you have good students! It takes some serious skill to be a good teacher, and it’s awesome that you enjoy it. I wish you luck in your future career!
Hi Lora,
While it is apparent from your post that there are so many fascinating and wonderful things about you, the fact you are in the Marching Chiefs is incredibly cool. What a fun and unique hobby, plus it sounds like you have gotten to have some amazing experiences and visit some great places being part of the Marching Chiefs. Thank you for sharing the link to the band’s website, and I going to read and learn a bit more about the Marching Chiefs now. Also I love the photo of your parents from when they were part of the March Chiefs. I’m guessing from your post one of grandparents was also a member, right? That is really special.
I love middle schoolers! I taught for a couple of years and middle school was my favorite age group. It seems apparent from your post that you enjoy teaching this age group and are eager to make learning and information accessible and enjoyable for them.
It is really cool that your mom also graduated from this program. I would be interested to hear how the program has evolved since she graduated.
Good luck this semester! You are going to do great!
Hello Lora! I’m so happy to meet a fellow educator and future school librarian. You’re absolutely right, school librarians wear many hats and these skills will be very helpful in creating lessons and getting people excited about books. I had the same reservations about this class but look at us doing well so far! 🙂
Wakulla is such a beautiful place; a real Florida gem. It must have been a magical place to grow up. Being a Marching Chief must be a fun experience. I played the flute in middle school but was too intimidated to move on to marching band in high school. I love that your experience is also informed by your family ties and memories. That’s very special.
I’m curious, did your mom go on to work as a school librarian? I look forward to learning with you this Spring. I can’t wait to see what you create.