About the Teacher

 

 

Chelsea W. Bechaver

 

Hi! My name is Chelsea W. Bechaver and I teach United States History and Family & Consumer Sciences at Centauri High School.  I am also the advisor for FCCLA (Family, Career & Community Leaders of America).  

This is my 11th year at CHS but was a paraprofessional before that, so have been in education for 12 years.  I attended Brigham Young University - Idaho where I obtained her Bachelor's degree and Adams State University where I obtained my teaching license in social studies and eventually my Masters degree in U.S. History as well.   

I grew up in Cortez, CO, but both of my parents are from the SLV so it has always felt like home here as I visited often growing up.  I am married to Eddie Bechaver from Manassa and we have two boys attending school at Manassa Elementary. 

In my spare time, I run a small business based on handmade crafts, where I enjoy sewing, quilting and wood-burning.  I also love to read and don't mind nerding out over a good history book.  With my family, we enjoy the mountains where we love to hunt, fish and go camping.  

While in college, I was able to take a class introducing Family & Consumer Sciences.  I found so much desire to learn more about the area and be able to teach those life skills and lessons to others.  I found value in that, not just as a future mother, but to help keep home and family the center of our societal system.  Although my college experience did not lead me to majoring in that area, I became licensed in FCS through previous classes and taking a few classes online.  When the position to teach FCS and advise FCCLA became open, there were rumors of so many other schools and districts cutting that program that I felt very personally that I needed to step in and continue to teach it, and help the program keep going in our school district.  Centauri and Sanford are the only valley schools that have FCS programs.  Our SLV community, especially Conejos County, has shown so much support over the years to show that we need this program for our students and future leaders.  Our Centauri FCS Advisory Board has helped us know which specific life skills may be lacking in our area and helps us focus and improve them.  Our FCCLA program has been very successful over the years.  The pandemic hit our chapter hard, but we are building it back up, especially in competing at the state level and having more and more National qualifiers.  FCCLA and FCS has given student's a perspective on the importance of community and to promote efforts in keeping it strong.  I am so humbled and blessed to be able to be part of that journey.