Christie (Crouch) Estep’s mother, Nancy Crouch, was a teacher at Dublin ISD for years. “I grew up hanging out in the classroom with her,” Estep said.
Now a teacher herself, Estep helps students learn about life in the real world through classes like entrepreneurship, interpersonal studies and personal finance. “I just love kids and I love watching them find their passions,” she said.
Estep graduated from Dublin High School in 2002, and worked for the Dublin Library, then at the Stephenville location of Rock House, which serves people with disabilities.
Then, she started working at Dublin ISD as a teacher’s aide. Estep enjoyed working with the students as a teacher’s aide and soon decided she wanted to be a teacher herself.
She started taking classes at Tarleton on the side, and graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences and teacher certification.
Her first teaching job was teaching third grade reading and math in Gustine. She enjoyed the work but realized she preferred teaching high school, so in 2016, she took a job at Hamilton High School teaching family and consumer sciences.
Estep also served as an advisor for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, or FCCLA, and that year, Hamilton’s FCCLA team went to nationals in Nashville, TN.
Estep loved her job in Hamilton, but wanted to move back home to Erath County. So the next year, when a job came open at Stephenville High School for family and consumer science, Estep applied and got it. Ten years later, she’s still working there.
Estep currently has around 150 students across her three classes. She teaches interpersonal studies, human growth and development, entrepreneurship and the personal finance class dollars and cents. She also continues to be an FCCLA advisor.
“FCCLA is just integrated into my classes, and students are able to do community service, competitive events, get leadership skills and network,” she said.
The classes are extremely useful for kids growing up and entering the workforce. “I feel like it’s rewarding because [I teach] real world skills,” she said. “We have a career unit where they learn how to interview, build a resume. Interpersonal studies is my ‘adulting’ class. We talk about stress management, decision making, and relationships.”
Estep also helps students learn about various job paths. “In my classes, I try to [show] different types of careers,” she said. “I like to have guest speakers come in from the community, and sometimes they get inspired; you just never know.”
Estep plans to continue teaching in Stephenville for the foreseeable future.
When she isn’t working, Estep enjoys spending time with her husband Aaron Estep and their blended family. “We like to be outside, and go try new restaurants, and cook and bake,” she said.
Estep’s husband and his stepdad built a log home for their family in Bluff Dale. The pair met in January of 2025 on a blind date set up by a friend, and married in May of this year. Aaron works as a motorcycle police officer in Fort Worth.
Estep has two children f rom previous relationships, Noah Richmond, 18, and Lexi Aparicio, 12. Noah is currently a freshman at Baylor studying engineering, and Lexi is in seventh grade at Henderson Junior High. Her husband has one son from a previous marriage, Dominic Estep, 14, who is a freshman at Stephenville High School.
Estep’s mother, Nancy Crouch still lives in Dublin, and works as a teacher’s aide at DeLeon ISD. Her father, Jack Crouch, passed away several years ago. She has lots of other family in Dublin and feels a strong tie to the area.
Throughout her life, Estep’s family has been her greatest inspiration. “I have to be my best for them,” she said.
Estep’s advice to future Dublin graduates is to get to know themselves and what they want out of life. “I tell my students that college is not for everyone, and that’s okay,” she said. “You can still be successful if you go to a trade school or to the military — you just have to have a plan. You have to know who you are as a person and what your talents and strengths are, and try to think what career you would be suited for and what type of working environment you want.”
And, she added, treat everyone with respect and kindness. “Always be kind to anyone that you meet,” she said. “You don’t know who can help you along the way in the future.”
— Where Are They Now chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@ dublincitizen. com.