When Angie and Craig Seay met on an Air Force base in the Netherlands, they were both F-15 aircraft mechanics. Their backgrounds were different—Angie grew up between the Bronx and Department of Defense schools overseas, while Craig was from a small town in South Carolina—but both came from families with strong military traditions.
Craig described his family’s influence: “They were icons,” he said. “There was this big world out there everybody kept talking about, and I wanted to see that great big world. The Air Force was my way out of South Carolina.”
Their service took them to various countries and exposed them to many cultures. Angie recalled being one of the few women in her role: “I was the only female crew chief on my base for a few years. So I had to toughen up.” She emphasized the sense of community during their service: “I’ve never felt that camaraderie in all the jobs that I’ve had afterwards. There’s nothing like it.”
After leaving active duty, both faced career changes during the 2008 recession. Angie lost her job as an election technician, and Craig lost his position at the driver’s license department soon after. Angie began substitute teaching, which led her to become a teacher’s assistant in special education and eventually earn a social studies teaching license. She has now taught U.S. History and Sociology at Doherty High School for 13 years.
Craig had experience as a military instructor but initially worked as an IT support technician for district schools after leaving service. He observed teachers while working on computers in classrooms: “I would sit there and listen to some of the teachers that had been in their careers for 25 and 30 years,” he said. “And the more I listened to them and watched what they were doing, I was like, yeah, I do want to do this.”
Encouraged by a career and technical education director, Craig applied for a teaching position—not in aeronautics as he expected—but instead helped start Colorado’s first public school telecommunications program. For five years, he has taught fiber optics, networking, and wireless communications.
Craig applies lessons from his military background to his classroom: “In the military, you’ve got 125 people all trying to get the same thing done, efficiently and effectively. We worked hard, and we played hard. But in the end, everyone was focused on achieving the same goal.” He encourages students not only to learn technical skills but also teamwork.
Both bring their experiences into their teaching style by understanding students’ diverse backgrounds rather than enforcing strict discipline or hierarchy. Living in Colorado Springs—a city with many military families—helps students relate when Angie shares stories connected to places she served or visited.
Students often ask Craig about his service; he responds thoughtfully: “To serve in the military is a very personal choice as a human being,” he said. “I don’t push the military on my students, but I share experiences and the benefits that I got. Not only to see the world, but to be a part of something so much greater than you recognize.”
He also discusses civic responsibility with students: “I’ve deployed to countries where you don’t get to elect your monarch. I’ve been in countries where you don’t get to choose your dictators. We have something pretty special here,” he said.
The couple continues their commitment through public education by supporting colleagues and standing with union members alongside their work as teachers.
