Nothing is better than the taste of chewy rooster testicles and lamb livers. Or maybe some hot doves and crispy alligator. Even turtles or quails should be fine, at least for history teacher Sandy Young it is.

Born on a farm in Louisiana on September 25, Young was the oldest of three children. Growing up on a farm “was a very unique experience, I found out later, but at the time it was just how I grew up,” Young said. “It was a lot of fun, but it was a lot of work.”

After high school, she went to Louisiana State University in the city of Baton Rouge. “It was more exciting than anything else. I was never really intimidated by it,” Young said.  “When I went to college, I went from a very small rural area to a fairly medium-sized city. There were a lot more conveniences, like you didn’t have to go 20 miles to a mall.”  At LSU she majored in English and broadcast journalism and minored in history.

Although managing a farm is a lot of work, her family still traveled when she was a kid. Since then, she has now been to 16 countries and counting. “Travelling is my favorite thing to do. I love to travel… My favorite country in the whole world is Ireland,” Young said. “I plan to go to all 50 states.”  Another favorite place that Young has been to is a monastery in France called Mont Saint-Michel. It is an old monastery that is completely surrounded by water.

Growing up in Louisiana, Young has also eaten a lot of exotic dishes. Some things she ate while there are dove and alligator. This made her adventurous when it came to trying foods from other countries. “When I was in Hungary, some of the students I was travelling with tried to trick me into eating rooster testicles. I had already saw the sign, so I knew what it was, but I ate them anyway. It’s not worse than other things I have eaten.”

Because she is so well-traveled, Young embraces the different experiences that her students bring to the table in class.  Young “is a very caring teacher that works hard to make sure that every kid passes her classes,” sophomore Devin Jamieson said.

Young’s life has prepared her to show true leadership in the classroom and beyond.  “She knows what she’s doing and it’s helpful for the students, she taught us a lot of leadership,” senior Haley Wess added.