Cheryl Allen went to Manhattan Bible College in Manhattan, Kansas studying to be a missionary. She never thought she would want to teach because she was so shy. Then an opportunity presented itself to her after her third year in Bible college. It was a program that would pay you to go to school and you would earn a teaching degree and a masters degree. “I went to apply and they said it was all full. I was kind of relieved because I never wanted to be a teacher since I was so shy. Then the next day they called to say they had one person cancel and I was in,” explained Allen.

After graduating in 1975 from Kansas State University with a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction for Disadvantaged Children, Cheryl still wanted to be a missionary. Then an opportunity came along for her to go to work for Wycliffe Bible Translators. She taught in the Wycliffe centers as a teacher to the English speaking students in other countries. She worked in villages in Brazil for four years and in Mexico for one year.

After working abroad for four to five years Allen came to Dallas, Texas and worked for the Wycliffe International center in Duncaville and then taught for two years in Oakcliff for Daniel Webster school. In 1990 Cheryl got married to Bill Allen and decided she didn’t want to work in Dallas any more and started teaching at Stafford Elementary as an ESL teacher (English Second Language) for the last nineteen years.

“My heart is with the children. I hated school because I had learning difficulties, speaking a different language is more difficult for those students to learn and I never wanted a child to hate school. I try to make it easier for them and emphasis they are really smart because they are learning two languages.”

We are glad you are here Cheryl Allen!