FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. — A Flagler County A+Teacher doesn't allow her students’ struggles to become stumbling blocks that keep them from learning.

Arien Striplin teaches kindergartners at Old Kings Elementary School in Flagler Beach and learned early on with some encouragement and hard work anything is possible. 

Striplin says when it comes to teaching, "I love it! So I am a pure ball of energy! I cannot imagine myself doing anything different."

At times it's hard to tell who is having more fun in her classroom: Striplin or her students.

"We do verbs and we're jumping around saying a verb is an action! So they give me action. Sad, mad, glad, silly and all of that. So I actually love the energy because I'm that way," says Striplin, who has been teaching for 17 years. 

Her love of learning was sparked by her parents and during playtime when she was a child.

She adds, "Ever since I was little, my sister and I would play teacher. We'd give each other homework and then we would check it and we both just really enjoyed it."

But things changed as Striplin grew older.

"When I was in elementary, my teacher worked really hard with me to get me that reading and writing which I did struggle with," she reveals.

Her teachers empowered her with different strategies to overcome those struggles though.

Striplin says, "When I got to my college years, I actually was on the Dean's list because I had just worked so hard. So I'm constantly telling them that it's okay to make mistakes because you learn from them. It just proves that you have to keep working harder."