ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

The 2026 Women’s Day Luncheon brought in many women from the community, and one of the speakers attendees got to hear from was Cottonwood Elementary School Principal Traci Mettlen.

As Mettlen told it, her Liberal roots run very deep.

“It is truly an honor to be here to celebrate Women’s Day and to stand among such strong, inspiring, and dedicated women. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my story – but more importantly, to celebrate the power and impact of women who educate minds and empower generations,” Mettlen said. “I was born and raised right here in Liberal. This community is not just where I live, it is who I am. My parents, Wesley and Donna Brinkley, still reside in Liberal, and I was raised alongside my older sister, Mindi. I was blessed to grow up in a home that valued hard work, faith, education, and commitment. Those early lessons shaped the woman I would become. I attended McKinley Elementary School, West Middle School and Liberal High School. I walked the same hallways, sat in the same classrooms, and learned from teachers who believed in me long before I fully believed in myself. Those women planted a seed in me. They showed me that education was more than teaching lessons. It was about shaping lives.”

Those mentors, Mettlen said, set her on her way to working in education.

“One thing that speaks to the power of great teachers is that I can still name every one of my elementary teachers and most of my secondary teachers. That tells you how much of an impact they had on my life,” Mettlen said. “Although I could tell you a story about each and every teacher, I especially remember my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Kendall. I would stay after school with her sometimes, just helping and talking, and those moments truly sealed the deal for me. From that point on, I always said I wanted to be a second-grade teacher. Even though I have never had that opportunity, that experience showed me at a young age how powerful a caring teacher can be, and it’s a big part of what inspired me to go into education myself. I have always enjoyed working with children. Even before becoming a teacher, I found myself drawn to opportunities to work with kids. I taught swim lessons, dance, and gymnastics. During my teaching career I served as a dance coach, and even worked with the Birth–2 program after school hours while continuing to teach swim lessons during the summer which I did retire from a couple of years ago. Those experiences continued to confirm for me that working with children was exactly where I was meant to be.  After high school, I attended Seward County Community College and then Kansas State University, where I earned my bachelor’s degree. I later received my master’s degree in early childhood special education from Fort Hays State University, and my ESL endorsement and building leadership certificate from Newman University. Each step of that journey strengthened my commitment to serving students and supporting others.”

And that path was not always entirely without bumps, Mettlen said.

“During my first year of teaching, I would teach all day and then my mom and dad would drive me to Hays for my master’s classes (my husband was always working). After class, we would head back home, often returning around midnight, and I would get up and teach again the next morning,” Mettlen said. “One summer, I actually lived in Hays with my mom and my 2-year-old son while I was pregnant with my second son. The following summer, I packed up the boys and moved in with my in-laws so I could finish my coursework. Looking back, earning that degree was truly a family effort, and I am so grateful for the support they gave me along the way.”

Mettlen has now had the privilege of working in USD 480 for 30 years among some wonderful colleagues, and she said she could not have gotten to this point without family support.

“I began my career teaching early childhood special education at Lincoln Elementary School and Washington Elementary School. I later taught third grade at Garfield Elementary, and those classroom years were some of the most meaningful of my life. This is now my 16th  year serving as an administrator and my ninth year at Cottonwood Elementary School,” Mettlen said. “Outside of my career, my greatest joy is my family. My husband, John, is a marketing manager for Nutrien, and this November we will celebrate 30 years of marriage. Thirty years of partnership, growth, challenges, and blessings. Together we have three wonderful children. Our son Jacob and his wife Hannah have given us two beautiful grandchildren, Gus and Mae. Our son Joel and his wife Vianca have blessed us with our granddaughter, Indy. And our daughter Jensen is serving others as a Speech-Language Pathologist in Norman, Oklahoma.”

Having worked in the field for multiple decades now, Mettlen said the importance of education cannot be understated.

“When I look back, I realize that my career has never just been about teaching content. It has always been about teaching children to believe in themselves,” Mettlen said. “I can still picture students who struggled, students who doubted themselves, students who needed someone to see their potential. Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can say to someone is simply, ‘I believe in you.’ Those four words can change a life, and that is what women educators do every single day. We educate minds, but we also empower hearts. Women bring something special to education. We bring compassion. We bring strength. We bring resilience. We bring the ability to see potential where others may not. We don’t just teach lessons, we build confidence. We don’t just prepare students for tests, we prepare them for life. Our influence often reaches far beyond what we ever see. Years later, students may not remember the exact lesson we taught, but they will remember how we made them feel. They will remember the teacher who encouraged them. The principal who listened. The mentor who supported them. The woman who saw them not just for who they were, but for who they could become.”

And that, Mettlen said, is how future generations get empowered.

“When you empower one child, you change a family. When you change a family, you strengthen a community. And when you strengthen a community, you change the future,” Mettlen said. “Watching my children grow into adults who serve and care for others reminds me that empowerment truly does carry forward. The lessons we teach today do not stop with one generation—they continue on. As women, we also empower each other. We lead by example. We support one another. We encourage one another. We step forward even when we feel uncertain. We persevere even when the path is difficult. There were moments in my career when I questioned myself. Moments when the responsibility felt heavy. Moments when the challenges seemed overwhelming. But in those moments, I was surrounded by strong women – mentors, colleagues, and friends – who lifted me up and reminded me why this work matters. And that is the power of women. We don’t walk alone. We lift as we climb. Every woman has influence. You may be a teacher, a leader, a mother, a grandmother, a mentor, or a friend. Never underestimate the impact you have. Someone is watching you. Someone is learning from you. Someone is becoming stronger because of you. Your words matter, your actions matter. and your presence matters. You are educating minds. You are empowering generations.”

Mettlen expressed her pride in being from Liberal.

“I am proud to have spent my life serving this community. And I am proud to stand beside women who make a difference every single day,” Mettlen said. “As we celebrate Women’s Day, I encourage each of you to remember the power you carry. Continue to lead. Continue to encourage. Continue to believe in others. And continue to believe in yourselves. Because when women educate minds, we truly empower generations.”