A career college allowed a Brown County native the opportunity to pursue a career she always had a high interest in, as Kelcy Purcell has spent five years as a first-grade teacher at Bangs’ J.B. Stephens Elementary School.

“I’ve always been involved in 4-H and FFA and done volunteer work and thought that working with kids was something I wanted to do,” Purcell said. “It took me a long time to get to that path, but I always enjoyed it. Growing up in 4-H we do lots of different activities in the community and we would volunteer at the school during summer school. My mom was also a teacher’s aide my entire life in the Brownwood ISD and I would help with different programs they would put on. I always felt like helping kids was something I was meant to do.”

Purcell previously worked at Citizens National Bank and the Family Services Center before the move to the classroom.

“I worked at Citizens National Bank for about 10 years and had an opportunity to go work for the Family Services Center,” Purcell said. “They started to shut down and it was time to make a career change and my husband said we were at a turning point in ourselves and I should do what I always wanted to do. We had the support and opportunity, it was time to take that chance so I went for it and decided to go back to school and do it.”

Regarding the decision to teach first-graders, Purcell said, “They’re just so sweet. In first grade I love that their hearts are so open and their minds are so open and they’re just willing to explore and ask questions. They want to learn, they want to grow and they want to have fun doing it. It’s really an enjoyable age group where you can get down in the floor and play with them and dance and sing, be silly and reach them in ways you can’t with older kids when they’re past some of that stuff. First grade you can still have fun and connect with them in different ways.”

The most rewarding aspect of teaching, according to Purcell, is, “definitely the relationships you get to build with the kids. I’ve been there five years now and kids you had years ago, you walk down the hallway and see them and they still love to see you know that you’ve made a difference for them and they know somebody cares about them and loves them and cares what happens to them. To make a kid’s day, there’s just nothing better than that.”

Purcell, who also serves as the children’s director at First Baptist Church of Bangs, said of the impact she’s able to have on the lives of youngsters, “It’s very life-changing. To have a kid come in with many a chip on their shoulder, and you don’t know what they’re going through, to have them come in and be able to soften their hearts a little bit and help them understand that there are people who can help them and love them and be there for them no matter what they’re going through and give them a safe space can be very impactful. Not only am I a first grade teacher I’m also the children’s director at my church, so I’ve been able to share that in both places. I have a lot of kids in my classroom that transition to my church as well and that’s nice.”

A 2005 graduate of Brownwood High School, Purcell attended Tarleton and later obtained her teaching certification online.

She and her husband Joshua, a Bangs native, have twin sons who will be entering the eighth grade.

“My husband went to Bangs his entire life, so we’re pretty proud of Bangs,” Purcell said. “They’ve done a lot of great things here lately. They’re growing and we have a lot of great things coming up this year. They’re doing a lot of remodeling and have gone back to the original middle school building. But our entire family is from here and lives here, so we’re just Brown County people.”