Brett Green ’12 earned a bachelor of science in business education at Appalachian State University. He is a marketing education teacher at Watauga High School in Boone. He also serves as the school’s DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) advisor and the men’s golf team head coach.

When asked about his favorite part of teaching, Green said forming relationships with students.

“Teaching is not meant for everyone but I can’t imagine a profession more rewarding than education. The relationships I’ve formed with my students over the years have been instrumental in making me who I am today. I always thought I would enjoy teaching and coaching, but I had no idea just how much being a teacher would mean to me,” he said.

Green said he appreciates the Appalachian faculty for pushing him to never settle for mediocrity.

“I was always encouraged to think for myself and develop my own ideas, which has benefited me greatly in the classroom. I still stay in touch with a few professors and consider them mentors to me even to this day. They never stop teaching you, and that is one of the greatest qualities an educator can have,” he said.

Green tells his students, “You get what you put in,” and thinks the phrase applies to his work in education as well.

“I wasn’t always convinced that I was meant to be a teacher, but the harder I’ve worked and the more time I’ve spent with my peers and students, the more I realize what an amazing opportunity I have every day to influence someone’s life for the better,” he said.