It’s no secret that White Station is packed with teachers who have outstanding resumes, but we often forget how many faculty members have unique interests outside of the classroom.

We’ve heard that Mr. Fernandez and Mr. Unnerstall collaborate on the guitar and mandolin, and that Mr. Stephenson is an avid basketball player, but the hobbies of other teachers may surprise you.

English teacher Molly Oster has a penchant for photography.  She spends her free time exploring Memphis, taking photos of whatever catches her eye.  Her passion began when she received her first camera at the age of 6.  She frequently enters her photos in competitions at capturememphis.com and has won recognition several times.

When she isn’t teaching, Oster runs a portrait business, Molly Oster Photography.  Her clients include high school seniors and the Heastons, for their annual Christmas card.

Ebony Johnson, the new art teacher and yearbook advisor, began designing tattoos in college.  Each year, she designs about one hundred tattoos.  Johnson said, “To create a tattoo, you have to be really good at linear composition, and very exact.  The lines have to be seductive- it’s the stylized way in which most tattoos are designed.”

She draws the design on a piece of paper and sells the copy to a customer.  The customer takes the copy to a tattoo artist, who traces the design on carbon paper to leave an outline on the skin.  The tattoo artist then fills in the design with ink.

Johnson’s requests vary.  Sometimes her designs are associated with family.  Sometimes they are cartoon characters.  Many are for fraternities or sororities.  Her largest artwork covers someone’s entire back.

She said, “My favorite tattoo is a picture of Tigger running around a branch; it represents my best friend who died.”

Dr. Chikezie Madu is best known for the rigor of his AP Biology class, but before his career as a biologist, he was an acapella singing instructor.

His passion for music began in his high school drama department.  He was voted best actor in his high school theater, but yelling in productions strained his vocal chords.

After graduating, Madu trained for two years in vocal instruction and taught acapella for eight years while completing his college degree.  Along the way, he has participated in Christian acapella groups and performed in several church talent shows.

Madu said, “I still have a passion for singing, although I haven’t done it in a while.  It is a beautiful thing, to hear the different parts of a vocal group harmonize.  It’s the same thing in biology- the way nature has its way of being all in sync.”