Celeste Ashcraft – A Educator with Hometown Values

Celeste Ashcraft was raised in Cove, Arkansas and it was during her time at Van-Cove Elementary School that she met the love of her life, Davy.  “Davy was my on-again, off-again boyfriend all through school and my high school sweetheart.  We got married before our junior year at Henderson, fifteen years ago,” explained Ashcraft.  The couple have three daughters, Cassidy, Carmindy and Camilla, ages eleven, eight and three, respectively.  “I love getting to do all of the fun stuff with my girls.  I’m a big memory maker and I enjoy taking them places they will remember,” Ashcraft said.

Ashcraft graduated from Henderson State University with an education degree and a certification to teach family and consumer science, as well as English.  After a few years teaching in DeQueen, she went on to teach a year of English in Wickes all while working on her master’s degree in library science.  At this point in her life, Ashcraft felt like she needed to be more elementary minded and accepted a job in 2007 to be the Librarian at Louise Durham Elementary School (LDES), a job she continues today.  “I feel like I still really love my job. I am beginning to be ready to make the move up to a higher level but I love this age.  Kids are still so much fun and for the most part happy every day.  We have around 570-575 students at LDES and I pretty much know all their names and they love that.  I love to teach and see the light go off when they ‘get it’.  I’m fortunate in my position because I can teach them a new skill and see them put it to work immediately and then turn around and teach others, it’s very cool.  I also like that I get to see different kids every day and get to touch base with all of them and when a child comes in and says in an awe-like voice, ‘the library is my favorite place,’ that’s just really cool.  It’s a very rewarding job,” Ashcraft explained.

The Ashcraft girls are very involved in the local 4-H clubs and Ashcraft serves as a club leader.  They are also very involved with the youth and young kids at their church, Cove First Baptist, and spend a lot of their spare time enjoying the outdoors.   Ashcraft believes in serving her community and spends a lot of time instilling that community pride in her children.  “I believe in giving back to my community and try to be involved and do a lot of community service with my girls to help plant those seeds in them. It does keep us very busy though,” said Ashcraft.  “Davy works as the Assistant Superintendent at the Cossatot State Park and has since 2004, we think it’s pretty cool that we get to live and work in the community we grew up in. We spent a lot of time on the Cossatot as children and we are so blessed that we get to spend time with our children there now.”

“I love the small town, close knit, family and friends aspect of Polk County.  We are so thankful both of our families all live here and we get to raise our kids close to them.  It’s a wonderful, safe place and of course we love to be outdoors and this is the mega center of outdoor Arkansas living.  We just enjoy small town life so much,” Ashcraft said.

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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