Cheryl McKinley has joined the Atlantic Collegiate Academy faculty and will serve as a full-time math teacher as well as an adjunct college math instructor.
McKinley, a self-professed “military brat,” was born in Quantico, Va., the daughter of a United States Marine. Her early years were spent moving from base to base before she attended Camp LeJeune High School in North Carolina where she played basketball, softball and volleyball. From there she enrolled at South Carolina State to study Mathematics.
She stepped away from college when she married her own U.S. Marine, but never let the desire to learn get far from her sight. She earned an Associate of Science in Mathematics from Atlanta Metropolitan State College in 1994 and embarked on a career in banking with SunTrust, now Truist Bank.
Over the next 20 years she served in a variety of roles for the bank – including Accounting, Operations, Customer Service, Real Estate Credit Administrator both in risk and approval for commercial lending and as a wire liaison. While working in the banking industry, she raised three children, graduated from Loan Officer School and completed her undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Mathematics from South Carolina State in 2004.
Her drive to learn continued from there, leading her to earn her MBA in Accounting, Finance and Business from American Intercontinental University in 2006. She continued her education, completing requirements for her Doctor of Business Administration in Finance from Walden University in 2009. She has also earned certification at a Math Teacher and a Life Coach and is a licensed and certified Christian Counselor.
McKinley is currently working to complete a Doctor of Divinity degree from Apostolos Leadership University.
Following retirement from her banking career, McKinley began working as an educator, working as a college professor and administrator. She has taught online and in the classroom, as well as hybrid classes, at Chattahoochee Technical College, Westwood College, Virginia College in Macon, Ga., Belhaven Christian College, the Keller Graduate School of Business, Herzing University and Strayer University. She has primarily focused on mathematics, accounting and finance, but has also been an instructor in computer classes and general business courses.
In addition to teaching at Strayer University in Herndon, Va., she also became the Academic Dean of the school.
McKinley spent time early in her career teaching math in the Cobb County, Ga., school system. She returned to those roots in 2019 when she became the math teacher at Lithia Springs High in Georgia, teaching Algebra and Geometry as well as college math and finance. This past school year she was a University Instructor at South Cobb High and also taught at Garrett Middle School.
Along the way, McKinley was also a successful basketball coach, but also coached softball. She has coached boys and girls’ basketball for more than 30 years.
McKinley was attracted to Atlantic Collegiate because of its guiding philosophy of providing students with a small, safe, family centered environment in which to grow and learn.
“I am blessed to have had the greatest parents ever in retired Marine James and Leila McRae,” McKinley said. “They taught my brother, sister and I love, laughter, fun, compassion and how to help others. They were known so much for this, and that is what you are get in me. I am an all-around team player and believe that success comes from within. We just need to want it.
“My greatest joy as a teacher comes from seeing the light bulb come on when my students get the concept. My door is always open and I know we are going to have a great year at ACA.”
In addition to her three successful children – Lorenzo McKinley, Jr., Charnita McKinley-Petty and Chaun McKinley, Sr. – she has three grandchildren – Sydney, Jackson and Chaun, Jr. – who are all well on their way to living successful lives. All three of her children are college graduates and were athletes in college. Her grandchildren are following in their parents’ footsteps, active in soccer, softball, basketball and baseball. All three are also training in Brazilian Ju Jitsu.
