LAS VEGAS, Nevada (FOX5) — With all the classroom drawers filled and the bookshelves crammed, Arianna Hicks is one step closer to her goal of welcoming fifth-graders to her class at Matt Kelly Elementary for the first time.

“I needed help, my room was a mess,” Arianna says. “I thought, ‘I need my family here,’ so I called them and they came to help me set it up.”

Luckily for Arianna, her family didn’t have to travel far.

Her mother, Sharon Hicks, and sister, Kaila Hicks, work just down the hall.

“Since I am a teaching assistant and the teachers are too, I think I can get tips from them because I will soon be a teacher myself,” says Kaila.

Kaila is working on her teaching degree at Grand Canyon University. She hopes to learn from her mother and sister, but they want to support each other.

“When we are stressed, I can go to my mom or sister’s room and feel supported,” says Arianna.

Her mother, Sharon, taught first grade at Matt Kelly University for three years.

“I know what you’re going through. I understand. You will get through this, one day at a time, and we can get through this,” Sharon says.

But the most important thing for the Hicks is to represent a community that is close to their hearts.

“Children need to know that people who look like them are the educators and leaders of their community,” Arianna says.

Since FOX5 spoke with the Hicks, another sister has started working for Matt Kelly, bringing the family to four.

Arianna obtained her teaching credential through the public education system’s Teacher FastTrack program.

Clark County School District officials attribute the 150-year drop in vacancies compared to the same period last year to programs like Teacher FastTrack.

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