Meet Mrs. Erica Foster, Wayne Valley Media Specialist. Mrs. Foster stands out from the crowd as she claims the title of educational specialist of the year at Wayne Valley. Mrs. Foster has experience teaching English for 15 years at Valley, prior to her three years as media specialist.  She has always been drawn to the power of words and the stories they tell. However, it was the unexpected joy and excitement of learning all new and different things that truly made her choose that path of teaching. 

From the very beginning, Mrs Foster found a lot of joy and satisfaction in the classroom. She says that she always enjoyed reading and writing and knew that she would want to go into something in the English field. “Teaching brings me a lot of happiness,” she says, reflecting on the journey that led her to this rewarding profession. The transition from news reporting to the classroom was seamless, driven by a genuine love for teaching and to see the light go off in a student’s head when they understood the topic. 

Mrs. Foster went to the University of Scranton and graduated with a double major in English and Communication. She attended Montclair State University, where she obtained her Masters in English Education, and also attended Marshall University with her media specialist certificate. In 2007, she started working at Valley, where she taught English in her early years. Mrs. Foster became the school media specialist in 2021.

In the media center, Mrs. Foster is a teacher and a guide and mentor to many. Her experience with studying English literature, combined with her tech-savviness creates a dynamic learning experience where students are encouraged to explore and question. As students, we all can also say how thankful we are for her always saving our Chromebooks when they break down!

 Mrs. Foster is the type of media specialist who hopes to make learning fun and interesting. As Mrs. Foster reflects on her journey, she is grateful for all the experiences that shaped and defined her path. Mrs. Foster hopes to be worthy of this title, but we know she is. She is excited about her new experiences and the future to come. Mrs. Foster will forever have a lasting impact on the students of Wayne Valley, so on behalf of the students of Wayne Valley: “We Love You Mrs. Foster.”