Let’s face it, this school year has been quite an adjustment for everybody. With all the new additions this year, from having people at the Bruin Academy to navigating through all the new construction at the main campus, it may be hard for some to keep up with all the news going around our school. That being said, many may not know or even notice the new faces that have joined our Bruin family. Therefore, as we enter into the second trimester, it’s about time to highlight all the new teachers and staff for the 24-25 school year. This post will be updated daily for the next week or so. Be sure to keep checking in for the updates!

Corey Yates 

Corey Yates is the new assistant principal and is regularly on the main campus. He graduated from Elizabethtown High School in 2000, and went on to Western Kentucky University to obtain his undergraduate degree in history and secondary education. He later received his masters in educational administration. Before arriving at Central, Yates taught and coached for 19 years at Elizabethtown High school.

After having such a personal connection with Elizabethtown for so long, many may wonder why Yates made the decision to switch to Hardin County schools.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to grow in a good and well operated school,” Yates said.

Yates explained that he has been enjoying his time here so far immensely. He believes there’s a great community here at Central, and speaks highly of his administration team that has played a vital role in his learning and adjusting to this new role of his.

As far as what Yates’ typical day looks like, you can find him patrolling bus duty in the morning and sending off freshmen to the Bruin Academy. He also handles discipline issues and is getting used to handling unexpected situations.

“My favorite part of the day without question is interacting with all the students,” Yates said.

While Yates has missed the aspect of teaching and being with kids often, he still really is fond of his new role as it is not only a change of pace for him, but also a delight for him to learn and grow into becoming the best effective administrator he desires to be.

One fun fact about Yates is that both his daughter and son started for the Elizabethtown soccer teams. Yates added that at times it can be a predicament when figuring out who to root for while watching Central and Elizabethtown face each other.

David Centers 

David Centers is the new band director here at Central Hardin. Before coming here, he worked in Indiana for three years. He has also taught at East Hardin for some time as well. 

Some may not know that Centers has worked here at Central previously. This will now be his 18th year instructing here. 

“I came back to Central to be closer to family and work with my son, Noah Centers, who is the piano and music teacher here,” Centers said. 

Not only that, but Centers also said that he believes that the Central band is fantastic and he wanted to give them a positive and productive experience. 

As far as the Centers’ experience here so far, he admits it has been challenging. 

“Much of that is obviously due to construction and many teachers have had to deal with this,” Centers explained. “Not having a band room facility makes it challenging to organize and teach, but I am looking forward to moving into our expanded and updated band room next year,”. 

One fun fact about Centers is that he loves to travel and perform. He has performed in 10 different countries, and every other year he takes a group of 300 student musicians to Europe where they tour their and its surrounding countries. 

Macy Belden

Macy Belden is a new science teacher at the Bruin Academy. She attended both the University of Kentucky and Butler University from 1990-1997, and received her bachelor’s of science in pharmacy. 

Before entering her teaching career, Belden worked nearly 30 years in pharmacy as she has been in that career since her freshman year in high school. She felt like she needed change, so she transitioned into substitute teaching for a few years before joining the Bruin staff. 

Belden’s experience as a teacher so far has been great. 

“I feel right at home in this career path,” Belden expressed. “I am very fortunate for this opportunity and truly enjoy working with all the staff at Bruin Academy.” 

Belden also is appreciative of her students.

“I like getting to know the freshman class and cannot wait to watch them grow and learn through their senior year.”  Belden said. 

One fun fact about Belden is that she has a son graduating from WKU in May 2025, and a daughter graduating from UK May 2026. They are both going into healthcare fields. 

Dailey Menendez 

Dailey Menendez is a Central Hardin alumni, and she has returned in the role of being the new Spanish teacher. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in both secondary education and English at Bellarmine University, and later received a minor in Spanish at Indiana University. 

Unlike some people, Menendez hasn’t always dreamed of being a teacher. 

“When I first graduated high school, I wanted to be a news reporter and work for a news channel,” Dailey said.

Once Dailey took her first communications class in Bellarmine, however, something didn’t feel right. 

“I didn’t click with other students and it felt super competitive,” Dailey explained, “I remember going home and crying that night because being a news reporter was my dream since middle school.”

After that emotional experience, Dailey went to her close mentor Dana Pearsall, who comforted her and told her she’d be a great teacher. After considering it, Menendez decided to try out her first education class, and that was when she knew that teaching was the right fit for her. 

Menendez is super thankful to be teaching here today. 

“As soon as I got here it felt like I was at home,” Menenedez stated, “I was in love with everything.” 

Menendez not only loves working with her students, but also being back in Central’s atmosphere makes her heart glad. Today Menendez loves the fact that she can now be a mentor to her students, as it reminds her of her mentors she once had in high school. 

A couple of fun facts about Menendez is that she likes to travel and absolutely loves cats. She has three cats of her own, and holds the reputation of having the personality of a “crazy cat lady.”