NPC Directory

Candace Speers Terry has had a love for technology from a young age. Her parents recall her showing them how to do things on the computer when she was a small child. She said she has always had a gift for math and science that lends itself to the computer science (CS) field. She was home-schooled for her whole life. When she was 15, she enrolled at National Park Community College. By the time she finished high school, she had 18 college credits under her belt. At the time, she was not sure what she wanted to do, but she knew she wanted to eventually work at National Park College (NPC). Even as a high school student, she loved her experience at NPC. Everyone seemed happy to be working here, and she wanted to work in a place like that. When she became a full-time college student, she started taking computer science courses because she liked computers. She enjoyed these classes so much that she decided to major in computer science. Terry transferred to Henderson State University and took several computer science courses. She earned a minor in computer science and majored in Computer Science and Business Technology Education, becoming the first computer science education major in the state of Arkansas. Soon after, she became the computer science teacher at a local high school. She had great experiences and learned a lot during that time. “I taught high school classes for four years. In 2021, I saw an opening for a computer science instructor here at NPC and I had to take the chance--it was honestly my dream job. I'm happy to say working here exceeded my expectations. NPC is a wonderful place to work and attend classes! I truly love my job,” said Terry. Terry has a unique perspective as an NPC alum, a high school teacher, and now a college instructor. She said this experience helps her understand situations from a variety of points of view and make fair judgments. Terry describes her teaching style as straightforward. “I avoid fluff, try to explain things as simply as possible and meet people wherever they are. I often follow the ‘I do, we do, you do’ method of modeling and scaffolding--meaning I show you how to do something, I guide you with me, and then I ask you to try it on your own, but then provide assistance and feedback as needed,” added Terry. She noted one of the main reasons she got into education is because it irritated her when someone taught something in an overly complicated, unhelpful way. Her main goal is to help students learn, get their degrees/certifications, and hopefully improve their lives overall.