Derrick Staton: From the Court Room to the Classroom

Not one good day, but many good days. That’s what Mr. Derrick Staton is looking for at Sacred Heart Academy.

Mr. Staton attended Elizabethtown High School after growing up in Union County in Western Kentucky. Mr. Staton pursued his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Kentucky eventually earning his Juris Doctor degree from the UK College of Law.

Mr. Staton realized that his days of practicing in employment law dealing with cases involving wrongful termination and discrimination were not satisfying. When Mr. Staton was given the chance to become the new A.P. Government teacher at Sacred Heart, he could not resist.

Although he gave up being a lawyer, he says that his law background definitely helps in teaching his core content in A.P. Government.

He said if any of his students want to become lawyers they can ask him about it and he will show them the “practical aspects of being a lawyer” which may give his students an “advantage that some students may not have.”

Before beginning his teaching career at Sacred Heart, Mr. Staton participated in pro bono work over the summer. Pro bono work refers to free legal work for people who cannot afford lawyers. He has done this type of work for several years.

Mr. Staton said, “I was searching for opportunities to help people who cannot help themselves.”

Early on, Mr. Staton hoped that becoming a part of the Sacred Heart community would allow him to come home every day feeling accomplished and content. After just two and a halfweeks of school, he is able to do that.

Mr. Staton said, “It is great spending my days around such smart and driven people. There’s a great overall feeling of camaraderie and positivity within the community.”

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