Martha Fuechsel

From America to Africa and back again! FHS alum, Martha Fuechsel, returns after three years of working with kids with intellectual disabilities in Lusaka, a city in Zambia, Africa. “Zambia was amazing. The people in Zambia are welcoming and accepting people. They love to dance, sing and are a very vibrant culture,” said Fuechsel.
She was born in Germany and lived there until she was six. After high school and college, Fuechsel joined the Special Hope Network. They found families with kids who have intellectual disabilities and offered programs and training for mothers/caregivers in special education, communication, health and motor movement. “It was always my favorite moment when a mom, who did not know how to interact with her own child, would be laughing and playing and teaching her child. So many mothers came in not even knowing what disability their child had but through the months would learn not just their child’s disabilities, but learned that their child can be loved, can learn and can communicate,” said Fuechsel.
Her experiences there along with growing up with friends who had disabilities founded her passion for Special Education teaching. “I mean, there’s just so much to learn from all types of people.” In her free time, she likes to spend time hanging out with friends and go exploring.
Fuechsel is excited to be working at Fauquier and expects a good year. She “looks forward to finding creative ways to encourage communication and social interaction in [the] classroom.” She added that she became a teacher because “it’s the most time you can spend with a student. You can help them grow and gain the confidence that they should have because of what they’re capable of.”