APPLETON (NBC 26) - Eight awards were given to outstanding educators in our community Thursday night.
Its part of the first-ever Excellence in Education Shining Star Awards program in the Fox Cities Region. The awards were given to K-16 educators, recognized for their outstanding achievements.
Here’s what one winner had to say:
“I've been at Freedom High for 33 years,” said Paul Larson, the Agriculture Education teacher. “We've had a lot of success with students succeeding, as well as how I've served on a lot of national boards, and traveled a lot to promote Agriculture Education, and my profession, which makes us stand out a little bit at Freedom compared to other places.”
NBC 26’s Nina Sparano emceed the event. A full list of the winners follows below.
Excellence in K-12 Education was awarded to Mike Slowinski from Menasha High School. This award honors a Fox Cities educator who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to children and families enrolled in K-12 public or private education.
Excellence in Early Childhood Education was awarded to Jenny Hollis from Fox Valley Technical College. This award honors a Fox Cities educator who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to children and families in the first five years of development and learning.
Excellence in Student Services was awarded to Brian Borchardt from Neenah High School. This award honors a Fox Cities educator who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting students in and outside the classroom to enhance the educational experiences and outcomes for students in K-16 education.
Excellence in Higher Education was awarded to Kate Manthey from University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. This award honors a Fox Cities educator who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to student success and/or the advancement of knowledge in higher education.
Excellence in Special Education was awarded to Monica Allaback from Valley Packaging Industries. This award honors a Fox Cities educator who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to serving and advocating for students with special needs in K-16 education.
Inclusive Excellence in Education was awarded to Jason Fridley from Horace Mann Middle School. This award honors a Fox Cities educator who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to a comprehensive practice of valuing, engaging, advocating for and celebrating the rich diversity of students enrolled in K-16 education.
Excellence in Career & Technical Education was awarded to Cyndi Pavelski from Appleton North High School. This award honors a Fox Cities educator who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to student success in career and technical education.
Educator of the Year was awarded to Paul Larson from Freedom High School. The other two finalists included Teri Fechter from Richmond Elementary and Monica Jones from Xavier High School. This award honors an educator who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to improving the quality of education in the Fox Cities region, and who has an inspiring presence that motivates and influences students, colleagues and the community.
Congratulations to all winners and nominations from all of us at NBC 26!
