Getting to Know Coach LeFevre: With ACP From the Beginning
Photo courtesy of Coach LeFevre.
ACP has grown considerably since it first opened and is slowly becoming a highly populated school. Known for its small, tight-knit community, ACP started as Hamilton Prep in 2007 and then became known as Arizona College Prep in 2012.
Many teachers have since left, but only one has stayed by Mr. Bickes’s side to see the school grow into a marvelous institution. Coach LeFevre, who teaches yoga and weightlifting, has been with ACP since the very beginning, when ACP was simply known as Hamilton Prep back in ’07.
A very proud Arizona native, Coach LeFevre has been teaching for 21 years since she graduated from Northern Arizona University. She taught at Gilbert High for two years and at Hamilton High for seven years before coming to Erie (Hamilton Prep at the time). She’s coached boys and girls volleyball at many different levels and taught physical education, aerobics, health, and of course, weightlifting.
I asked Coach LeFevre for a quick interview to find out more about her and the school in its early days and she happily complied. Here’s what she had to say:
Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher?
A: Originally, I was a marketing major, but then decided that was not for me. I have always been passionate about sports, fitness and nutrition, so being a physical educator seemed like a good fit. I enjoy sharing my passion with my students.
Q: What was it like seeing the school become so much bigger while you taught here?
A: Watching the school grow bigger has been exciting and a little sad at the same time. I miss knowing every student on campus; when we were smaller, I taught everyone. Watching all the sports teams grow and become competitive definitely has been really exciting.
Q: How different is ACP today compared to how it was when you first started teaching here?
A: When I first started at ACP/HP, I taught outside year-round on a green belt and a parking lot. So, for me the facilities were a huge change, even though we still don’t have enough now. The amount of students on campus was also a huge change: we are still a family, but not the small, tight-knit family we once were. This year having only high school instead of 7-12 is a big change too.
Q: Have you always wanted to teach yoga/weightlifting?
A: Weightlifting, yes. I never thought about teaching yoga and was very nervous to do it at first, but I love it. I’m so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone to give my students the opportunity to learn something new and to be able to reduce stress for a class period.
Q: Were you involved in any sports when you were younger?
A: I played a lot of sports growing up: softball, competitive gymnastics, and golf. In high school I played volleyball, basketball and ran track.
Q: What is something students would be surprised to find out about you?
A: I think they would be surprised to find out that I was on a roller derby team, the Cadaver Crue. My name was Poison Apple.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I have two dogs, Hurley and Jameson.
Q: What is your dream vacation?
A: That is a tough question; there are so many places I still need to visit. I would love to go to Australia and New Zealand, but a closer location would be Jackson Hole.
A huge thank you to Coach LeFevre for taking the time to give us a little insight about how the school was when it first started out. We hope to see you here for many more years to come!
