Dual Enrollment Educator Spotlight: Deana Rainey

From the moment she lined up her younger sister to play “student” after long days in first grade, Deana Rainey knew she was destined to teach. Armed with picture books and homemade assignments, she began shaping lessons before she had even learned multiplication tables herself. That early love of learning and literature has grown into a career spanning decades and inspiring countless students.

“I think teaching was part of my DNA,” she reflects. “I would give [my sister] assignments, and we would have discussions about the book I would read to her. Thus, literature especially was a passion from very early on.”

Her teaching journey has taken her from preschool classrooms to middle schools, private academies, community colleges, and ultimately to her current role at Omaha Northwest High Magnet School, where she has taught for 15 years. Along the way, she’s discovered that curiosity doesn’t fade with age. “Teaching a wide variety of ages puts things in perspective about the progression of learning,” she says. “It reminds me that curiosity is a natural part of our human existence.”

One of her greatest joys comes from seeing students grapple with the power of literature. “I absolutely love when I see students create new understandings of a text based on what the author does as part of the writing craft,” she explains. Whether through short stories, novels, or classroom discussions, she encourages students to dig deeper, think critically, and challenge themselves.

Her passion extends beyond traditional coursework. For the past 15 years, she has been involved in the school’s dual enrollment program, which allows high schoolers to earn college credit. “It's an amazing jump start into their future education,” she says, “I love to see students who didn't think that college was a reality for them until they challenge themselves with a dual enrollment course. They see that they can do it!”

Her teaching philosophy reflects both rigor and encouragement. She often tells students: “You don’t have to be ‘smart,’ you just have to work hard and try.” Unlocking confidence, she believes, is the key to helping students realize their potential.

The rewards of this work are deeply personal. “Every student leaves a small mark on my soul,” she says. “For me, it’s always about the students. They are the big reward.” Recently, her dedication was recognized when she received a student-nominated award at her school, an honor she describes as humbling and meaningful. “I just feel like I am doing my job, which is nothing special. But for them to honor me for that is quite special.”

Like many educators today, she acknowledges challenges, especially the rise of artificial intelligence. She worries that students may turn too quickly to technology instead of practicing critical thinking and authentic writing. “I prefer a flawed human essay response with errors rather than a robotic regurgitation,” she notes.

Outside the classroom, she finds balance and renewal in the outdoors. A former marathon runner, she loves hiking, biking, and exploring mountain trails. “Running in the mountains puts life into perspective,” she says, drawing a connection between physical endurance and the resilience she encourages in her students.

Looking ahead, her goals remain simple but powerful: to inspire students to pursue what they love, think critically, and connect learning to humanity. “I genuinely hope that I show students that you should find something you love and make that your life's work. I also hope that they always look critically at things and dig deeper. Connecting what we read, write, and think to our humanity is what learning is all about.”