Kim Yates, a native of Clintwood, Virginia, is an instructor at Pineville Independent Schools, located in Pineville, Ky., where she teaches 11th & 12th grade ELA, Mass Media, and dual credit writing and literature courses. She holds a Master’s degree in Education, a Master’s degree in English, and has been teaching for the past 12 years both at the high school and collegiate levels. Her passion is facilitating learning opportunities that challenge her students to think beyond the classroom and develop the thinking, speaking, interpersonal, and problem solving skills necessary to be effective, passionate, and contributing members of 21st century society.