Maggie Allen

Maggie is from Wake Forest, North Carolina and attended Western Carolina University

earning a degree in Inclusive Education. During her time at WCU, the Blue Ridge mountains

quickly grew to feel like home. Maggie graduated in 2022 and moved to Asheville where she

met her fiancé, Wes. They have recently bought a home together in Candler and are getting

married in the fall!

When she’s not teaching, Maggie loves to work on her small flower garden, go for hikes,

and snuggle with her two dogs. Bubba, her long time chihuahua companion, and Banks, their

recently adopted dachshund beagle mix who was displaced during Hurricane Helene.

Maggie began her teaching career at Hall Fletcher Elementary in West Asheville as a

first grade teacher. During her time there, she was awarded the Asheville City Schools

Beginning Teacher of the Year award. She then went on to be a finalist for the statewide

competition for North Carolina Beginning Teacher of the Year. This award encompassed a

week-long retreat, workshops, essays and interviews, many of which Maggie discussed her

joyous approach to teaching.

Maggie’s dedication to making learning joyful began when she was in elementary school

herself. As a student, she felt discouraged at school after learning to read slower than her

peers. She had one teacher who turned things around for her by making every lesson fun and

approachable. This teacher helped Maggie find the confidence she needed to learn to read

successfully.

Her own elementary school experience taught her a valuable lesson that she uses to this

day as a teacher. The two important things an EC teacher should do is make the classroom a

place where the students want to be, and build their confidence so they believe they can do it.

This experience and set of beliefs also led her to seek a role as an EC teacher at FernLeaf.

She’s thrilled to be part of the team!