Husband and Wife Learn How to Be Inspiring Educators at the Same School
A University of Arkansas at Little Rock couple is taking on all of life’s challenges together, even learning how to become fantastic educators together by participating in a teacher residency program at the same school.
Molly and Hudson Trusty, married education majors from Benton, are spending their senior year at UA Little Rock participating in an innovative pilot teacher residency program between UA Little Rock and partner school districts Jacksonville North Pulaski School District and Little Rock School District.
“It’s awesome to be in the classroom,” Molly said. “I am learning a lot about classroom management, for I get to experience it first hand and put the practices I’ve learned in school to action. We have both already independently taught lessons in the classrooms. I am very fortunate and blessed to be selected and realize it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The Trustys are both completing their residencies at Forest Heights STEM Academy in Little Rock with Molly in kindergarten and Hudson in third grade.
“It’s an awesome experience,” Molly said. “We get to carpool every morning to Forest Heights. Kindergarten and third grade have lunches at the same time, so we have our lunch breaks together. At the end of the day, we can’t stop talking because there is so much that we relate to and so much that we can talk about.”
In lieu of traditional student teaching, Hudson and Molly will spend the entire academic year in the same classroom with their experienced teacher mentors, Sheila Vinson and Lynn Hanson, learning all the tricks of the trade, and receive weekly mentoring from their site coordinator, Kenya Brooks, who works with teacher residents working in Little Rock School District.
“We are learning so much by being able to be at the same school all day all week long. It’s amazing to be in the classroom,” Hudson said, adding that working together has allowed them to become closer in a way that most couples will never understand.
“When most couples get home and tell each other about their days, they try to understand, but they may not totally understand what it is like,” he said. “We can both understand where we are coming from and give each other advice since we are both on the exact same career path.”
Dr. Rachel Eells, Windgate Foundation Endowed Director of the School of Education at UA Little Rock, said it’s inspiring to see how students like the Trustys embody the mission of the School of Education.
“The Trustys are providing a wonderful example of why we are so honored to do this work,” Eells said. “The School of Education is committed to improving the community and the lives of our community members. Molly and Hudson are pursuing careers that will better the lives of Arkansas children and also better their shared life together by providing solid incomes for important work.”
Love at First Sight
Hudson and Molly met in the seventh grade while attending a career development class at Bryant Middle School. Molly was a cheerleader and wanted to become a nurse. Hudson was a football player and wanted to become a pediatrician.
“I always thought he was different, in a good way,” she said. “He was the type of guy that stood out in a crowd by radiating such positive and kind energy.”
The couple started dating in 10th grade on Feb. 7, 2018. They dated all through high school and both worked at the Boys and Girls Club of Bryant together. They enjoyed making a difference in the lives of kids, and that is when they decided they wanted to become teachers.
They attended the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College together and later transferred to UA Little Rock as Trojan Transfer students. They got married in 2021 without the traditional engagement story.
“We never proposed to each other,” Molly said. “It was the end of May 2021, exactly one year after high school graduation, and we said, ‘Hey, let’s get married!’ Three weeks later, we got married at a little church with our family. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
The Trustys are taking on the challenge of the classroom together as they blend their passion for education and their partnership in life to make a difference in the lives of their students. Now they will both graduate in May 2025 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Education and a fantastic start to their teaching careers by participating in UA Little Rock’s teacher residency program, sponsored by a grant from Forward Arkansas. Both of the Trustys love teaching at Forest Heights, and they hope to be teaching there together a year from now.
“The staff has been so welcoming and helpful,” Molly said. “I couldn’t recommend Forest Heights enough.”
Hudson, meanwhile, has an even deeper connection to the school.
“Forest Heights is the best school we’ve ever been at,” he said. “My Grandma Hunt went to elementary school there and even walked there as a kid. Now the most exciting part of my day is being able to work down the hall from my wife.”
