Lehigh Valley Teacher Retires After 52 Years

Story by Tamyra Horst

Born in Calcutta, India, Kalyani Prakasam received bachelor degrees in Education and Teaching from the University of Calcutta (India). She taught school for 10 years in India before moving to the U.S., and has been teaching children at the Lehigh Valley Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School in Whitehall, Pa., for the past 42 years. She earned a Master of Education in 1983 and received her reading specialist certification in 1985.

“I have enjoyed teaching all of my students and getting to know them and their families. It brings me joy to watch them grow and succeed in life,” shares Prakasam. During retirement she plans to possibly teach TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) or adult literacy classes, read, spend time in the arts and travel. “I am very interested in watching how education changes and would love to especially teach women how to read. When mothers can’t read, it impacts their children.”

Jeff Bovee, vice president for education, states, “Kalyani has served Lehigh Valley and the Pennsylvania Conference for many years with great passion and commitment. She reflects Jesus in all that she does and has been an outstanding role model for her students, their parents and her community.”