‘She gave her life to guard the scholars she beloved,’ her household mentioned in a press release. ‘Katherine was dedicated to her household, her mates, and particularly the kids she cared for.’

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Katherine Koonce, the pinnacle of faculty at The Covenant College and a lifelong educator, lived to like and encourage children, mother and father and colleagues, mates mentioned.

Koonce, 60, died attempting to guard her college students from a heavily-armed former scholar who killed her, two of her colleagues and three 9-year-olds on the non-public Okay-6 Christian faculty on Monday, her household, mates and Metro Police mentioned.

“She gave her life to guard the scholars she beloved,” Koonce’s household mentioned in a press release to The Tennessean launched Wednesday.

Metro Police strongly instructed that Koonce confronted the shooter in a faculty hallway earlier than she was killed.

“There was a probable confrontation — you possibly can inform by the best way she was laying,” Chief John Drake mentioned Tuesday.

A number of mates mentioned they’d little question Koonce confronted the shooter.

“If there was any hassle in that college, she would run to it, not from it,” good friend Jackie Bailey instructed the Related Press. “She was attempting to guard these children … That is simply what I imagine.”

Koonce spent most of her profession at two Nashville Christian colleges, the final seven years as the pinnacle of faculty at The Covenant College and 15 years as a pacesetter at Christ Presbyterian Academy, incomes admiration and respect from communities at each locations.

Koonce was a fierce advocate for all college students, particularly these with disabilities, mentioned former CPA colleague and good friend Anna Caudill.

“She was nice at serving to college students perceive that none of that was outdoors God’s design, or outdoors of how they had been divinely created,” Caudill mentioned. 

Additionally praising Koonce this week was Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman, who skilled his personal tragedy in 2008 when considered one of his youngsters by accident killed one other with a household car of their driveway.

In a Fb submit after the taking pictures, Chapman wrote:

“Amongst those that died tragically within the faculty taking pictures at present was an incredible lady identify Katherine Koonce, who poured herself into our household’s life, particularly our kids, Will Franklin, Caleb & Shaoey within the early days/months of our grief journey. Her love and her gentle lives on within the lifetime of our household and so many others that she touched!”

In weblog posts and movies, Koonce typically burdened the significance of the varsity’s employees loving their college students and making college students really feel valued.

“We all know how vital it’s that every little one be recognized, be beloved, and be ready for all that God has for them transferring ahead. To be recognized, to be beloved, and to be ready — that is our intention for each little one,” she wrote in a submit on the varsity’s web site two years in the past.

“When a toddler is understood, he positive factors a way of himself and the adults in his life – adults who’ve taken the time to actually know him – can converse reality and encouragement and problem to him in ways in which propel him ahead towards changing into the individual that God intends for him to be.” 

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Koonce’s household acknowledged her love for her college students in its brief assertion:

“Katherine was dedicated to her household, her mates, and particularly the kids she cared for. She gave her life to guard the scholars she beloved. We’re devastated by our loss however relying on our God for consolation and therapeutic,” the household mentioned. “It’s our privilege to honor Katherine’s legacy and to rejoice her exceptional spirit. We’re grateful for the prayers of many on our behalf, and we pray for the households of the six others who died.”

Many former college students reached out to one another and to their outdated academics this week.

A number of alumni instructed Caudill they would not have made it by way of faculty with out Koonce’s fierce steering. 

“It highlighted to me once more how a lot we have misplaced in shedding Katherine. It isn’t simply that one scholar, though one scholar could be a galaxy,” Koonce mentioned. “It is a technology. She influenced a technology of scholars as a result of she’s been working in these faculty areas for 23 years.”

One former scholar even shared she named her personal daughter Katherine and have become a trainer herself.

“I believe her college students do not know how fortunate they’re to have a trainer who was geared up for the duty by Katherine Koonce,” Caudill mentioned.

In her writings, Koonce herself could have provided a path for Covenant College to maneuver ahead by way of the tragedy, although she wrote the next about getting by way of the pandemic:

“Every day I must open my coronary heart to no matter. No matter God has for our faculty…, regardless of the trials we’re having to endure – we nonetheless imagine, we’re nonetheless devoted, we are going to nonetheless love Him wholeheartedly. No matter difficulties or blessings are evident in our properties, we are going to search to do the subsequent proper factor. With palms open to no matter, we are going to make good choices, we are going to assemble good plans, and we are going to search to do no matter pleases God.”

Attain Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384 or on Twitter @bradschmitt.

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