Southland Academy welcomes 4 new faculty members

Published 10:10 am Thursday, August 22, 2019

AMERICUS — Southland Academy welcomes four new faculty members for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year. They are Tammy Dingler, Jolie Ledger, Amy Shattles, and Mallary Wiggins.

Dingler comes to Southland full-time this year after having taught computer science and college-level math and having substituted at Southland for several years. She is a graduate of Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) with a bachelor’s of science and master’s of science in computer science with 18 hours of graduate math. She will be teaching regular and honors geometry as well as regular and honors Algebra II. She is married to Dennis Dingler and has one son Andrew who is a junior this year at Southland. She lists hiking, crocheting, reading, and camping as her hobbies. She comments that she is “proud to be a member of the Southland family and a Raider Band mom.”

Ledger, Middle and Lower School counselor at Southland this year, received her bachelor’s in psychology from GSW. She later received her bachelor’s of science in education in early childhood education and master’s of science in education in school counseling. She is married to Southland alumnus Chad Ledger, and they have two children who attend Southland, Chase and Cade. Her activities include reading and attending her children’s sporting events. About Southland, she said she is “so excited to be working in a school where I can express my Christian beliefs. I feel like I am home.”

Shattles is teaching third grade at Southland this year. She received her bachelor’s, master’s, and specialist’s degrees in early childhood education from GSW. She is also married to a Southland alumnus — Billy Shattles, and they have two children, Erin and Hunter. She lists her hobbies as reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She said, “After retiring with 30 years in public education, I am happy and excited to be at Southland! Everyone has been so helpful and kind, and I am excited for this new adventure!”

Wiggins, a native of Americus, joins Southland as a K3 aide. She graduated from the Georgia K12 Online Academy and obtained her associate degree in early childhood education from South Georgia Technical College. She states that she’s looking forward to attending GSW to obtain her bachelor’s degree in early childhood. “The second I stepped foot on the campus of this school, I was welcomed with open arms,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for a better place to call home.”