West Lincoln High senior nominates art teacher Tina Boyles, credits her with helping through a difficult time

Tina Boyles, an art teacher at West Lincoln Middle School in Lincoln County Schools, was nominated by Emma, a senior at West Lincoln High School, who said Boyles helped her through a difficult period and supported her mental health.

"She helped me at a bad part of my life, helped me explore, put my emotions in the artwork and be able to use it as a medium for my mental health," Emma said.

Boyles described her teaching background in the district: she taught art at West Lincoln High School for four years, then took 12 years off to start a family, and has taught at West Lincoln Middle School for 19 years. In her remarks, Boyles said she "was fortunate enough to follow Queen of Biggerstaff as the art teacher here."

Emma said a still-life project drawing skulls was one of her favorite class pieces and that Boyles shared personal touches with students, including family recipes. "She's genuinely a very sweet teacher," Emma said. She recommended rising sixth-graders take Boyles' class, calling it "a good class" that lets students "put your own creativity in it."

Other brief exchanges during the segment included questions about favorite projects and memories; Emma said Boyles encouraged her to attend art club during a rough day so she could "have fun, just to enjoy myself for a little bit." The segment closed with thanks from both the nominee and the student.

The remarks in this recorded segment focused on a student nomination and personal experiences in Boyles' classroom; no formal actions, votes, or policies were discussed or decided in the provided transcript.