On November 7, the You Make a Difference award was passed from Ms. Kennelly to Ms. Powell. This award, which began in 2005, is awarded to faculty whom others feel have gone to extra lengths to make a difference for fellow faculty and students. The You Make a Difference award recipients receive a pin, a set of sticky notes, and the privilege of being honored by a fellow colleague for the hard work that they have accomplished. Ms. Powell, an art teacher, was nominated for this honor by Ms. Kennelly, a special education teacher at Jacksonville High School.
Ms. Powell, who has been an art teacher at JHS for two years, teaches Art 1, Introduction to Crafts, Drawing, and Advanced Drawing. Because she spends “the majority of [her] day in the art rooms,” she said that it leads to her “flying under the radar.” This is why Ms. Powell was so surprised when Ms. Kennelly handed off the award to her.
After winning this award, the dedicated art teacher feels honored in a way that is unmatchable. She notes that “to be recognized by colleagues that work so hard” makes it even more special. Her efforts are always focused on helping the individual and she just strives to do her best every day.
These are some of the qualities that influenced Ms. Kennelly to choose Ms. Powell. Her “positive attitude” was one of the factors that Kennelly knew helped to make a difference. Also, the caring art teacher “focuses on the strengths of students” and “reaches out with calm, quiet competence.” Because of these attributes of Powell, Ms. Kennelly says that she is optimistic for the future of education. She notes that teachers who display these qualities are able to adapt and evolve in order to better fit the needs of the students. These are the teachers who deserve to be recognized and Powell is indeed a fitting recipient.