Teacher of the Week: Courtney Link

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) –- Working in a classroom requires a certain about of patience and working with special education students, that takes a special person.

“When I first started everybody told me, ‘You might not like it when you get in the classroom,’” said Courtney Link.

Those comments however did not stop her from pursuing a career working with exceptional students.

“I just knew it was my calling,” she said.

Growing up her mother worked in a nursing home where she says she often got experience being around residents with Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. So, when it came down to choosing what she wanted to do with her life, the decision was easy.

“I knew as soon as I got to college I wanted to be a special education teacher.”

Link works at Belville Elementary, where she says her students have become much more than that.

“People always ask me, ‘How many kids do you have?’ And I’m like, ‘I have eight. I have eight kids.’ That’s how many kids I have in my classroom,” she said as she chuckled.

The parent who nominated Link to be our Teacher of the Week wrote “Ms. Link goes above and beyond on a daily basis and never shows any signs of frustration from what can be a very challenging day.”

Challenging, maybe but Link says her work is more like a puzzle piece that completes her life.

“I wake up and it is what I’m supposed to do.”