The Historical Conquest Executive Team may be the experts in each of their fields, but in the field of education (K-12), no one is more of an expert than the teachers in the classroom! So, to make sure students and teachers had a voice, we created our Board of Advocates, to speak for the needs of teachers and students. It is them who make sure the site is attractive to the viewer, easy to maneuver, and understandable, for both teachers and students.
Tonia Walker, PhD is a dynamic educator and consultant, who uses a strength-based approach to specialize in developing leadership capacity in individuals, while helping them realize their goals. Her areas of expertise include: collaborative policy implementation, systemic cohesion, educational leadership, grant management, resources management, strategic planning and evaluation, community building, and mentoring.
Dr. Tonia believes that learning should positively challenge each learner, and that learning can be fun! During her 29 years of dedicated service in education, she was an elementary school assistant principal, principal at a high performing campus, a grants administrator, and community engagement supervisor. Currently, she serves as a district-level administrator.
Tyler Dean has been an educator for over 18 years, serving as a history teacher, a campus level administrator, and now a district level administrator, in gifted education. He is passionate about history and Gifted and Talented Education, and believes that, in order for our students to be productive citizens, they must know what has happened in the past. Also, by teaching history effectively, we can develop a cross-curricular model that positively impacts literacy, science, and the arts.
His greatest joy comes from his family. He has been married for 15 years, and has three amazing kids. His hobbies outside of the classroom include music, dogs, reading, and cars. His youthful demeanor and understanding of youth is what makes him a valuable part of this Board.
Robin has a passion for working with special populations of students. This passion developed as she worked for a decade at Baylor’s University for Young People (UYP). She created summer
classes for identified gifted and talented students. After seeing the need within her own family, Robin spent the last 8 years of her career developing and implementing middle and high school
programming for students with learning differences. Robin’s goal as an educator has always been to make learning meaningful and accessible to all students. Now retired, she spends her time consulting and working with NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) gathering data for The Nation’s Report Card.
Mary Ellen Young brings a wealth of classroom experience to our Board. She recently retired after seventeen years teaching history, government, economics and geography. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Education in Teaching from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University. Mary Ellen has been recognized for accomplished teaching and is currently certified in adolescent/young adult history by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Mrs. Young is committed to the National Board vision that every student should have a great teacher, and by extension that every teacher should have a great curriculum. She passionately believes that every student can learn and that our mission as educators is to find innovative tools to reach the most at-risk students.
Matthew Thornton, born in Corpus Christi, Texas, is an English and history teacher, a filmmaker, and a published author. He also co-hosts the new podcast, Creative Moonlighting, with his wife, Denise. The two co-own and run Griffyn.Co Productions, which specializes in a wide array of audio/video media. Matthew’s creative interests have provided a strong foundation and influence in his efforts to explore new modes of teaching and learning in his classroom.
Lauren Proctor is deeply passionate about education, the power of teaching history, and an advocate for educational equity. Her experience includes teaching all levels of US History in Texas public schools and is currently part of a professional team that leads a dual enrollment history course taught in schools across Texas through a partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. She believes in a student-centered classroom that prioritizes all learning styles. In addition, Lauren is dedicated to teaching historical content with innovative methods and a culturally proficient lens to increase the diversity of students who see themselves reflected in impactful stories of our past. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts in History, with Special Honors and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, both from The University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Central Texas with her husband and two kids and prides herself as a life-long learner.