By SANDRA THAMES/Staff Writer

Charli Lindley Hamlin, in her first teaching job at Thompson High School, was recently awarded the “Promising New Foreign Language Teacher for the State of Alabama.”
Nominated by her mentor, Dr. Sheri Spaine Long of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Hamlin teaches her favorite subject, Spanish. She loves the culture and the people. Hamlin spent her last two college classes living with a family in southern Spain.
Considering that trip as the trip of a lifetime, Hamlin hopes one day to go back and share the culture with her husband. Both would love to see the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
Raised in Hailey, Idaho, near Sun Valley, our subject is not just a pretty face and a smart girl, but an athlete too. She was spotted at a Kansas City volleyball tournament during her high school career by Melindi Clayborn of UAB. She attended UAB on a full-ride scholarship from 2004-2008.

Husband Josh Hamlin, a Thompson High School graduate, was playing football at UAB when he and wife-to-be wound up having surgery by the same doctor. Their trainers and physical therapists were also the same. After friendship, courtship and marriage the couple moved to the Alabaster area and Charli became the Spanish teacher and junior varsity volleyball coach at THS. Hamlin also coaches with Alabama Juniors, a volleyball travel club.
The Hamlins live in Alabaster and love our community.
“Having no commute is amazing” she said. Her advice: “Get enough sleep, drink lots of water and work where you live.”
About twice a year Hamlin gets to go home to Idaho. Her ultimate dream is to raise her kids in Idaho, country style, maybe eight to 10 years from now. At present she has 147 children in her classes and no plans for a family of her own until she completes her masters in education leadership and administration.
In 20 years, Hamlin hopes to be living in Idaho, playing in the mountains, raising kids, teaching volleyball and serving as principal of a high school. She loves hanging with high schoolers all day and possibly being the last person to influence their lives before they go into the real world.
Her favorite quote, by John Wayne, is “Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself into our hands. It hopes we have learned something from yesterday.”

Community columnist Sandra Thames can be reached  by e–mail at bobthames1942@yahoo.com.