Faculty Profile: Ashly Coppage, Director of Student Activities

Ashly Coppage is our Director of Student Activities. Ms. Coppage has worked at Rabun Gap for over eight years, had two daughters attend (Cydni '20 and Peyton '21),  and holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Texas Women's University. Before coming to Rabun Gap, she taught at the elementary level at Highlands School and before that, she was a flight attendant for Delta. When she’s not working, Ms. Coppage enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time on the lake. 

How long have you been working at Rabun Gap?

I have been working at Rabun Gap 8 1/2 years. 

My daughters were accepted to Rabun Gap.  I was working as a teacher in Highlands and knew their new schedule and mine would not match so I resigned.  About 2 weeks before school started I received a call for a position open at Rabun Gap and I jumped on it. 

 

I taught 3rd grade then kindergarten at Highlands School.  Before that I was a flight attendant for Delta Airlines.  

The students!  I just love the diversity and getting to know kids from all over the world.  The kids here are on another level and I am certain they will make this world a better place in the future!

I absolutely loved being in the same place as my daughters.  I was fortunate to be able to teach them both in 3rd grade, one was easier than the other and if you know them I am sure you can guess which one.  I would not trade that experience for the world.  It made me understand them as learners and made me realize how different they were.  So following them to Rabun Gap was the best decision for all of us.  Being in the middle of their everyday lives is something I will cherish always.  

I love taking students to really fun places, especially when it is something they are experiencing for the first time. I also love how competitive they get when I do fun and sometimes silly competitions and games.  

I loved the silent disco we had last year!  It was so fun from a spectator perspective to see them dancing to 3 different songs and not hearing the music, very funny to watch.  I can't wait to have this event again this year.  

 

I like how appreciative and thankful the students are. They also jump right in to help anytime they are asked.  

 

When my daughters were here we decided to take a group to our lake house for Labor Day weekend.  The group ended up being 35 students from all 4 grades.  The boys camped in tents in the backyard and the girls were in the house.  My mother in law and I cooked ALL WEEKEND, my love language.  The kids went wakeboarding and tubing, swam, played volleyball, kayaked and we even watched a movie outside under the stars.  It was an amazing weekend.  

 

I once had a mohawk...no there are NOT any pictures! I went broke buying hairspray!