Judy Butcher

AEF Fellow 2024-25 

Judy Butcher

Fellowship Placement: U.S. Department of Defense
Hometown: Lubbock, TX

Judy Butcher is a computer technology teacher from Lubbock, Texas. Born and raised in Texas, her twenty-nine-year teaching career has been all in West Texas. Most recently, Judy taught at Smyer High School in Smyer, a small rural school outside of Lubbock. Before teaching in Smyer, Judy taught mathematics at Estacado High School in Lubbock for three years and mathematics and computer technology at the middle and high school levels in Abernathy for nineteen years. Judy received a B.S. in Multi-Disciplinary Studies and a B.B.A. in Accounting from McMurry University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Judy is a lifelong learner passionate about ensuring all students receive the best possible education, especially in STEM. Her inspiration has come from consistently researching, creating lessons to meet the needs of all students, and finding ways to be involved in memorable and innovative opportunities to add vital STEM knowledge to her intellectual toolbox of information. A few of the opportunities that significantly impacted Judy as an educator have been being a part of STEM days and camps like Video Game Design Camp, being chosen as a participant, and later a mentor in a cohort of Rural School STEM teachers for a Research Experience for Teachers on Applied Data Science for Cybersecurity and the South Plains Teacher and Counselor Externship Program. These experiences and others have allowed Judy to build a cohesive classroom environment and expand outside the classroom by providing STEM opportunities in which high school students teach STEM concepts to elementary students and sponsoring math and science competitions for middle and high school students. Judy's dedication to education and her school community was validated during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 as the Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Judy's dedication to education demonstrates her commitment to providing a supportive learning environment for all students. Judy sees the need to align, expand, and promote the local, state, and national STEM resources available to meet the needs of diverse student populations. This commitment includes ensuring that students in small rural schools have access to the same resources as larger schools. Judy plans to continue to empower, inspire, and engage all students to become lifelong learners beyond the classroom walls into today's multi-faceted world.