Six Southeast alumnae honored with ‘Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards’
Six alumnae of Southeast Missouri State University were honored last month with 2016 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Among those receiving awards were Southeast graduates Jennifer Bettis of St. Louis; Jessica Duffy of Waterloo, Illinois; Megan Coleman of Desloge, Missouri; Sherri Moreland of Festus, Missouri; Whitney Hoffmann of Sullivan, Missouri; and Aubrea Grundstad of Grover, Missouri.
Coleman is a second grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary in Farmington, Missouri.
The awards, now in their 27th year, paid tribute to 100 area educators – from kindergarten teachers to college professors – for their achievements and dedication to the field of education. Each honoree received an engraved Tiffany & Co. crystal apple box, as they are honored for their vital role in shaping students’ lives and success for the future. Recipients were selected by their schools’ administration to honor their accomplishments. The ceremony and reception were held at the Ritz-Carlton.
Duffy is an early childhood teacher in the Millstadt Primary Center of the Millstadt Community Consolidated School District 160.
Bettis is a sixth grade science teacher at Rockwood Valley Middle School in the Rockwood School District.
Moreland is a K-5 Title I reading specialist at Pevely Elementary in the Dunklin R-5 School District.
Grundstad is a third grade teacher at Valley Park Elementary in the Valley Park School District, where she was named Teacher of the Year this year. She also serves as National Education Association president for her district.
Hoffmann teaches family and consumer science – including nutrition and wellness, housing interior design, and career and family leadership — to ninth to 12th grade students at Sullivan High School in the Sullivan School District. She also is the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) advisor.
“Emerson is proud to honor the most dedicated educators in the St. Louis area who are striving to create bright futures for all of their students,” said Patrick J. Sly, Emerson executive vice president. “We are delighted to support these smart, talented men and women who are an inspiration both inside and outside the classroom.”
The award recipients will have the opportunity to apply for a Gold Star Grant from Emerson, to be presented in spring 2017. Honorees from this year and the past five years are eligible to apply for the competitive grants, which are designed to fund educational projects that reflect the pillars of the Emerson brand – technology, innovation and leadership. Since 2006, Emerson has awarded $500,000 to area teachers and schools through the Gold Star Grant program.
The Excellence in Teaching Awards program began in 1989 and is sponsored annually by Emerson, a global technology and engineering leader headquartered in St. Louis. Emerson and its Charitable Trust fund the Excellence in Teaching and Gold Star Grant programs. Under its Charitable Trust, the company donated $9.5 million to more than 590 education programs, individual schools and scholarship recipients globally for the year ending September 2016.
Megan Coleman
