ALUMNUS TAPPED FOR TEACHING
EXCELLENCE AWARD
Kathy
Nimmer '91 exemplifies the spirit and perseverance necessary for overcoming
seemingly insurmountable odds. Her students at Harrison High School in
West Lafayette, Indiana, see it everyday, and the Turnaround Management
Association (TMA) took notice of it as well by awarding her the Butler-Cooley
Excellence in Teaching Award.
The Butler-Cooley Award recognizes
classroom teachers who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill
in shaping and influencing children's lives through dedication. Nimmer,
who is blind, was one of three teachers selected among 70 nominees. The
creative writing and English teacher received a $5,000 stipend from the
John William Butler Foundation and travel expenses for the TMA annual convention
in New York October 18 to accept her award.
"My initial reaction was
shock and exultation," said Nimmer, a teacher at Harrison since 1992. "I
applied for the award with (little) expectation of winning. When my principal,
superintendent, and fellow teachers came into my class to present me with
a super-sized plane ticket and check, I was stunned."
Winners must be licensed
and actively teaching in an accredited public or private education institution
for at least five years. The award, named in honor of two people who taught
for more than 50 years, provided affirmation to Nimmer that the struggles
she has endured during her career have yielded visible fruit.
"The award confirms that
my journey is going in the right direction, that I am doing some things
well with positive results," she said. "I know that I have a long way to
go before I am the teacher I know I can be. This was a guidepost on that
journey, showing me how far I've come and where I am headed if I stay grounded
in the same belief system that has brought me to this point.
"God worked an incredible
turnaround in my life when I stopped trying to fight the battle for success
and growth as a teacher on my own: He has provided answers that propel
me forward with joyful contentment as I know I am doing what He would have
me do."
Related Link:
Kathy
Nimmer - Alumni Profile
