The Plainsman Press - South Plains College

Brandye Huggs, staff writer

Janna Holt-Day loves to teach young people and truly enjoys her students at South Plains College.

Janna, as she prefers to be called, is an assistant professor of speech at SPC, however, she did not start out wanting a career as a teacher.

Janna was born in the small town of Wichita Falls, Texas but calls Vernon, Texas her home. Vernon is where she was raised and where both her parents were teachers. Through watching them, Janna was convinced that teaching was not for her.

Janna’s interest was for the theatre; drama was something she loved. Janna attended college at Baylor University and it was there, while taking speech classes, that she realized she could combine her two loves, drama and theatre, and teach speech to students.

Janna received her bachelor’s degree form Baylor University and her master’s degree from the University of North Texas. She began teaching speech to high school students around the Dallas area. She also taught students at a community college, where she met her future husband, Jesse Day. The two were married at the community college in the beautiful art gallery the school has.

Janna wanted a full-time teaching position at a college, so she decided that when a school in an area she liked came open, she would seriously consider it. South Plains College wanted Janna as a full-time instructor, so in 1994 she became a member of the SPC faculty. SPC got an added bonus because her husband, Jesse, came to work here as well. He is an instructor in computer information systems.

Janna and Jesse moved to Levelland with their then 8 month-old daughter, Jenna. The move was a little bit scary, having to moving to a new town with a new job so far away from home and family, with a baby. But, Janna has made a home here and really enjoys being at SPC and in the city of Levelland.

Janna said she thought she might not like living so close to where she worked, but it has really turned out to be a great advantage. She is close to her students if they need her. Luckily, it is also close to home, since she once accidentally ran out of gas and had to walk to school.

In 1998, Janna became an assistant professor of speech at SPC. Janna teaches business and professional speech. Her class is relaxed but structured so students receive the best information she has to teach them. Her students think she is a great teacher, very personable and willing to assist a student in any way possible. Her door is always open to students, and she is great about helping them in any way possible.

Janna feels that her students “keep her spirit young,” and she really enjoys being around them. Her favorite thing about teaching is the joy she gets from her students. Her least favorite thing is “being disappointed when people don’t try.”

Janna was Faculty Senate President in 2002. Currently, she has classes that are broadcast to students in classrooms in Anton and Amherst. Janna really likes the idea of teaching a class to students who would not ordinarily have the opportunity to take the class at their own school. She feels it is a great advantage to those students that SPC is able to reach out to them.

Janna also teaches an exercise class at the SPC Fitness Center called Instructor’s Choice. It is a fitness class that combines cardio and weight training. Working out is a hobby of hers and something she enjoys sharing and doing with others. The class is a great way to keep in shape and allows for a different range of activities.

One thing that may surprise people about Janna is her love of traveling with her husband to Las Vegas. The two go on a regular basis and have a blast. They have never stayed at the same place or eaten at the same restaurants. They always try new things and go to new places while there. The trip allows Janna to relax and take a break from her busy life at SPC.

When asked where she sees herself in 10 years, Janna simply stated “here.” She really enjoys her work and would miss being away from her students. Janna’s advice for all students at SPC is to “enjoy what you are learning.”