Shawna Francis
Shawna Francis is honored and excited to join the St. Joseph family this year. Born and raised in Cabell County, she has spent all but two years of her life in the tri-state area. It was during this time frame that her journey in education began. Prior to entering the education field, she graduated from Marshall University with a bachelor’s in social work and obtained employment as a family service specialist focused on youth and foster care. After about a year of working in the social work field, she relocated to the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, where she began working as a substitute teacher and high school softball coach. After a couple of years, she returned to the tri-state area and was a substitute teacher in Lincoln County until her daughter was born.
She returned to Marshall University and completed a semester of undergraduate requirements, and then entered the Master in the Art of Teaching program with a focus in family and consumer sciences. Upon graduation, she was hired at Huntington High School, where she remained for thirteen years. She has taught a wide variety of subjects, from wellness programs to family and consumer sciences. Some of the unique courses include dual credit in early childhood education (ACDS), Grow Your Own (teaching pathway), wellness, personal training, baking, and parenting. At St. Joseph High School, she will be teaching physical education and health courses, in which she hopes to bring creative and engaging approaches to provide lifelong knowledge for her students. After her children were a little older, she returned to coaching at the high school level at Huntington High School in the role of head coach from 2018 to 2022.
In her personal life, Shawna primarily enjoys spending time being a mom to her two children and volunteering for events related to their interests. She currently serves on the little league board and volunteers at Huntington’s own Alchemy Theatre in various capacities. Some of her interests include reading, hiking, exercising, playing softball, baking, house projects and antique hunting.