Two Wheels, One Teacher, and a Daring Spirit

In the spirit of Trust and Dare that few might feel comfortable adopting, Middle Level Social Studies Teacher Sara Walker, 34, has spent her last two summer breaks drawing on physical fitness and personal resolve to bicycle solo across areas of the country. These treks are more than feats of endurance—which she relishes—but also an unconventional way to grow in a profession she recently entered after a career in active duty with the Marines.

Drawing on her innately competitive spirit, the self-described adrenaline junkie embarked on her first solo bike ride, to Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the summer of 2024, mapping it to destinations related to her U.S. History curriculum. Stops at Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, informed lessons on the Civil War, while a visit to Andrew Carnegie’s Homestead Steel Mill brought to life the spirit of the Gilded Age.

The summer of 2025 found Walker en route to Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, traveling through Manassas, Virginia, to experience the first battle of the Civil War, with only a handlebar pack, saddle pack, and backpack to accommodate camping gear and clothing.

Walker chooses her destinations and designs her cycling routes to align with her history curriculum. In visiting historic sites, she says she is able to bring to life classroom lessons more fully.

“When you stand on the ground [of an historic site], you can bring a level of excitement and knowledge to the lesson,” she explains. “I bring that energy to class, and I am met back with energy from the students.”  
    
When reflecting on how her cycling trips reflect the spirit of Trust and Dare NDP seeks to cultivate in its students, Walker draws upon both a strong sense of confidence instilled in her by her close family and a personal desire for overcoming challenge.

“I’m very competitive, and I love adventure. I believe you have to ‘do it while you can.’”

She has brought this same spirit for adventure to her teaching, a career path she embarked upon two years ago after serving in the Marine Corps.  After receiving her B.A. in political science, she opted to join the Marines to quench her persistent thirst for adventure. She ended up serving for seven years: three years in the first infantry unit to integrate women and four years in recruitment. Following, the G.I. Bill supported her as she pursued a Master of Education from West Chester University, and in September 2024, she landed in NDP’s Middle Level.

Originally thinking she would teach high school, Walker is now fully invested in the middle school experience. “I am so impressed with [the students’] willingness to give it an honest effort…and grapple with challenging issues.”

Walker comes to Catholic, all-girls education honestly. She herself is a graduate of Padua Academy, an all-girls Catholic college preparatory high school in Wilmington, Delaware, and St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Her mother is a former teacher, and her father and one of her two brothers currently teach at Padua’s “brother” all-boys Catholic high school.

“I love all-girls Catholic education,” she says, emphasizing that she knew immediately that Notre Dame Prep was the place for her to launch her teaching career. “Coming here was an amazing, welcoming experience. I felt right at home.”