All the way in a quiet corner of the school, at the back of the portables, a teacher had turned her drab, beige classroom into a pink wonderland full of lights, pictures, and finished with a coffee station. Here, students were taught the intricacies of cooking and baking in a fun, loving environment.

However, after just two years of teaching culinary arts, Laura Woody taught her last day of classes on Feb. 2 before taking on her new role as student nutrition director of Azle ISD.

“As soon as my husband and I came to Azle, it just felt like home. It was where we wanted to stay,” Woody said. “I’m excited to move up to this director position. I wanted to make sure that I stay within the district.”

When Woody was offered the position, she said she called Principal Nate Driver to tell him.

“He was like, ‘Awesome. Do you need anything from me?’” Woody said. She told him: “Yeah, a little bit of advice. Do you know what to do with a room full of crying high schoolers?”

For Woody, the promotion has its downsides.

“It was going to be hard for me to tell my kids—I call all my students that,” Woody said. “I told the one group of students that I’ve had for two years before I even told my family.”

Woody said she has connected with her students, and it will be tough to leave them.

“The thing I’m gonna miss most is my daily interactions with my students,” Woody said. “They make me laugh every day when they have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes.”

Before teaching here, Woody taught at the middle school level. She made the jump up to high school to see a new side of the children she taught.

“I want to see kids that are truly doing things that they’re truly passionate about, and growing as people outside of the classroom,” she said.

Though Woody said she will miss her students, she said she is leaving them in good care.

“I’ve met their long-term sub, and it makes me happy that he has a genuine interest in culinary and the food they’re going to make,” Woody said. “They’ll be left in good, kind hands.”

Sophomore and FCCLA Public Relations Officer Gabrielle Currid took Woody’s Introduction to Culinary class. Woody was also one of her FCCLA advisers.

“Mrs. Woody was everything you’d look for in a teacher,” Currid said. “I will deeply miss her, but I am so excited for her and her future.”

On a personal note, while I didn’t have Mrs. Woody’s class, she made a huge impact on me as my FCCLA adviser. I would always go to her for advice about anything. Woody was kind, sensible and is one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met. I have nothing but love for Mrs. Woody, and I wish her the best of luck.

As Currid said: “Even though [Woody] wasn’t here for too long, she definitely made a huge impact on Azle High School.”