Featured Teacher: Alex Hewson

Born, raised and educated in Awendaw, SC, Ms. Alex is a Charleston native who believes the success of CDC is based on teamwork. “The children, their families, and the teachers work together under a valid and worthwhile philosophy of personal empowerment.”

Being homeschooled from fourth grade through twelfth grade, Ms. Alex was raised on an educational philosophy that closely aligns with that of CDC. “I learned through doing. I decided when enough was enough. I was given time to dig deeper into subjects that I was especially interested in. My parents thought of themselves as coaches rather than teachers. It was my responsibility to learn and move forward. It was their responsibility to guide me along the way.”

It is this similar educational philosophy that drew Ms. Alex to her current position at CDC. “My job is to provide the tools and to guide my students on their path to better understanding of the subjects they are interested in,” she says.

Ms. Alex’s biggest reward is seeing her student’s good behavior, manners and respectfulness toward others while out on field trips. Project time is a personal favorite because “the children’s level of interest is high because they have actually chosen the subject. They have control over the situation and the outcome.”

When not working at CDC, you might find Ms. Alex babysitting, traveling or planning her next adventure. As part of Ms. Alex’s homeschooling experience, she grew up traveling with her sister to Mt. Pleasant for year round swimming, Spanish tutoring and piano lessons.

What people find most surprising about Ms. Alex is that she is adopted. She currently lives with her two adorable black and white cats named Tuxedo and Paxton.

Ms. Alex believes in personal empowerment and growth and believes that “if you are going to do something, give the time and effort to see it through.”