Despite every obstacle, Anna Dagley broke generational chains and rewrote her family’s story. Today, she is a devoted mother, the first in her family to graduate college, and an inspiring history teacher at Furlough Middle School in Terrell.
Anna’s childhood was marked by instability. Growing up in Dallas, she moved often, never finding roots. In 2005, her family relocated to Terrell, drawn by its small-town warmth. A year later, when her mother and stepfather moved away, Anna made the courageous choice to stay. She lived with her grandmother—a house cleaner who spoke little English but showed Anna what strength and perseverance looked like. Her grandmother’s constant reminder, tú puedes—you can do it, became the words that carried her forward.
By 25, Anna was a single mother of three, working full-time and determined to create a better future. In 2016, she enrolled at Trinity Valley Community College. The road wasn’t easy—she had no family example to follow—but within 30 minutes of her first class, Anna knew she wanted to teach history. Inspired by a passionate female history professor, she saw the power of representation and the possibility of her own future.
From there, Anna pressed forward. She transferred to UT Dallas, balanced motherhood and work, and in 2018 proudly became the first college graduate in her family. She credits her sister, Toni, as her backbone through it all.
Anna began teaching in 2019 and, in 2022, returned to Terrell to teach U.S. history at Furlough Middle School. “This is home,” she said. “I know the families, and I see my students in the grocery store. That doesn’t happen in Dallas.”
Her teaching philosophy is simple: make history matter. She wants students—especially young girls—to know they belong in spaces where others may doubt them.
Now, nearly a decade after her first college class, Anna has become the role model she once needed. Whether celebrating her daughter’s milestones or honoring her Mexican heritage in the classroom, she still carries her grandmother’s words: tú puedes.
Anna Dagley’s story is one of determination, identity, and hope. She embodies the Terrell Tiger Spirit and proves that with perseverance, the impossible can be rewritten and that anyone can change the course of history.