PALM COAST, Fla. — Flager County A+ Teacher Kali Hurry says a positive experience during her school days with a phenomenal coach and teacher really put everything in proper perspective.

Hurry says his lessons are still having a real impact.   

Hurry likes to share words of wisdom that she has learned with her students at Wadsworth Elementary School in Palm Coast.

She tells them, "Don't be afraid, that even if you fail, continue to try new things and it will lead to amazing things."

Hurry is what is called a Dreams teacher.

"I actually basically teach the top 20 students of the grade level and it's our version of an advanced placement class," she describes.

She knows what it is like for students to push themselves. She was a student athlete for about 16 years and explains, "I played soccer, basketball and volleyball and I was a Division 1 athlete at Coastal Carolina University and played volleyball collegiately." 

She says a lot of the coaches in her life were so influential, especially her soccer coach who was also one of her high school teachers. 

"He was so motivating and never accepted anything but my best," she recalls. 

It's a belief she's now working to instill in her students each and every day.

"It really helped shape me not just as an athlete but then even as a teacher," she says.