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10th Annual EDUCATION RECOGNITION BANQUET
Partial group of Belva Waite Scholarship Winners
350 of Allegany County’s brightest & best people are gathered here together this evening, and we have a lot to be excited about!
25 Years ago another, a much smaller group of Allegany County’s best and brightest gathered to see if a community foundation was right for us. Men like Peter Sprague, Ken Nielsen and others came to the conclusion, YES! With nothing but a dream, they applied for and received a registration for a non-profit organization that would promote cultural, civic, social, and yes, educational support for the people of Allegany County.
These visionaries dreamed, and the people of Allegany County responded. People, like Belva Waite of Rushford who loved children, and Edward Brewster of Whitesville who understood the importance of education. They stepped forward and established scholarship funds. Others made donations and because people like them cared, tonight we gather to award 69 new scholarships totaling $111,500! Add to this the renewable scholarships for those already in school and our total for 2008/09 is $253,000! Today, the assets of the Foundation have grown from a dream to almost $7,000,000! However, our success as a Foundation is measured by those we help, not by what we have received, but by what we give back to the community.
All of these scholarships are possible because of people like you who made gifts to the Foundation or who included the Foundation in their estate. Gifts have come in every size, from $1 to $2,000,000. So thank you for giving and a special thanks to all of our Sponsors and donors who have helped make this night possible. A list of sponsors and donors is found in your program.
To those of you who have attended these banquets in the past, you will see some changes this evening. After meeting together with county superintendents who had received input from their teachers, it was agreed that the Foundation would no longer select one educator to honor, but rather to honor all educators in the county. Many of these educators are here this evening because a scholarship winner selected them as an important person in their life. So tonight, in addition to all of the new scholarship winners, we also want to thank educators who have made a significant contribution to the success of our young people.
In closing, I would like to leave you with the words of Andrew Carnegie who said “In bestowing charity, the main consideration should be to help those who will help themselves; to provide part of the means by which those who desire to improve may do so…”
Tonight, we will do just that.
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Educator of the Year 2007
Molly Weinman
Molly Weinman has a “comfortable” classroom. Her 4th grade students are relaxed, they feel right at home and they respect her. She is innovative and has learned to adapt her methodology to accommodate her learners. She knows how to make her teaching both meaningful and appropriate to the level of students she has. Plus, her students enjoy her class!
Molly understands that in these times a teacher often must serve as a surrogate parent who needs to show love, respect and care for her students. It is her goal to allow every student the opportunity to experience success, which to her is one of the most important gifts a teacher can give to a student. Molly believes that her greatest success has been her ability to ignite a passion in each student for the beauty and power of language and how it is used to express oneself.
Finalists
Educator of the Year: 2007
The 10 finalists for Educator of the Year are:
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Stephanie Stephens - Alfred-Almond Central School
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Joseph Close - Andover Central School
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Evelyn Alessi - Belfast Central School
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Susan McElheny - BOCES
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Greg Sahm - Bolivar-Richburg Central School
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Dave Volz - Cuba-Rushford Central School
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Leah Armison - Friendship Central School
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Elizabeth Abraham - Genesee Valley Central School
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Molly Weinman - Scio Central School
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Kathy Breuer - Wellsville Central School
Stephanie Stephens
Stephanie Stephens is an inspiration to her colleagues. She inspires enthusiasm, creativity and professionalism beyond the limits of her own English department.
Stephanie attributes her path to teaching to her grandparents who were dairy farmers. “It is their teachings which still resonate throughout my life today.” It was in her grandmother’s kitchen, which was always filled with people at meal times, that Stephanie learned the importance of hard work, honesty, charity, education, loving and relating to people.
As a teacher, she feels that throughout her career she has raised her own “family”, with over 500 members strong. She has found fulfillment in seeing her former students succeed and in hearing of the influence she had in shaping their lives.
Stephanie believes that “the best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book.”
Joseph Close
Joseph Close puts the student at the center of his lessons. According to his peers, Joe is a quiet, strong leader who has led in the field of Social Studies. He has instilled in his students a real love of history and a respect for the classroom and for learning. Through the use of “story-telling”, he brings to life historical people and events.
Joe has used his gifts and skills to work with others to develop a curriculum which integrates Social Studies and ELA in grades 7-12. He believes that in continuing to grow strong as a teacher, the students will benefit. He has achieved this through the mentoring of new teachers and by using the computer creatively to teach each subject. He feels that the new “chalkboard” can do more than the old slate could ever do and it is the responsibility of the teacher to learn how to make full use of this electronic tool.
His greatest pleasure is when a former student returns to his classroom and shares with him their success. Their story.
To Janelle, success is measured when a student’s eyes light up with the “I’ve got it” look!
Evelyn Alessi
Mrs. Alessi is the definition of an excellent educator. She is very hardworking, organized and has a genuine love of her students. She cares for them and has a desire to see them all be successful. Evelyn is not afraid to reach “outside the box”, using a variety of lesson plans and strategies in her English classes.
Evelyn believes that a good sense of humor is necessary when dealing with young adults. Compassion and understanding are also crucial when working daily with students whose lives are often ruled by emotions and hormones. Her goal is to develop students who will question what’s taken for granted, challenge the status quo, and make the love of learning their lifetime desire.
To Evelyn, “WHY” is the biggest little word in the world.
Susan McElheny
Susan McElheny has been a dedicated BOCES employee for seventeen years. She is known to be creative in her planning and working with others to produce visual motor skill lessons. This year she moved from Rushford to the Cuba campus to work with children on the Autism spectrum. Her knowledge of behavior management, her creative lesson planning, and a true empathy for students has made this year a success.
Ms. McElheny has shown a dedication to her students that is second to none. She believes that knowing her students’ needs, abilities and learning styles is essential to planning and assessing instruction. When her own teachers believed in her, she was encouraged and challenged. By taking the time to form a relationship with each student and insuring that they see themselves as a valued part of the classroom, she has achieved success.
Greg Sahm
Greg Sahm is unique, an innovator who uses the “hands-on” approach to teaching. He understand the dynamics of the classroom and has embraced a variety of computer projects and lessons which stimulate the students into actually enjoying science class. When was the last time your teacher dressed up as french fries or wore a spider on his head to teach the difference between “inference” and “observation”?
In addition, Greg genuinely cares about his students and the school. Originally, he worked with fish and wildlife management until he realized that he preferred working with people! He believes in teaching because he wants his students to learn to be “the best that they can be”. It is his goal to instill a life-long love of learning.
Dave Volz
Dave Volz brings enthusiasm and creativity to the area of mathematics. Each day he shows a genuine interest in his students, making each feel cared for and bringing out the very best in each of them. Dave works tirelessly at his craft and still has the time to participate in extra-curricular activities that help himbond with students.
After beginning a career in business with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Dave realized that he is gifted in working with people rather than numbers. He believes that a friendly, genuine approach to students, along with a sense of humor, will go a long way in opening the door to learning. Teaching at the middle school level has given him a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that he never found in the business world.
As a teacher Dave feels that he has made a positive difference in the student’s lives by instilling a better sense of direction and motivation. Dave is a true asset to the Cuba-Rushford community.
Leah Armison
Mrs. Armison exemplifies those qualities of a master teacher: dedication, compassion for kids, and a thorough knowledge of her subject matter. She is innovative and dynamic in the classroom, always going above and beyond for her students. Leah possesses an excellent rapport with her students and has the ability to both encourage and guide them through their frustrations. Her students enjoy her English classes and have the utmost respect for her.
Leah Armison is truly involved in the education of all high school students at Friendship. She is a valued and highly revered teacher as well as a consultant to her colleagues. Both teachers and students benefit from Leah’s involvement. She has exhibited a willingness to be a team player and has shared her knowledge and expertise with others.
Leah’s goal is for her students to “be better people because of me and I will be a better person because of them.”
Elizabeth Abraham
Liz Abraham possesses a love of learning that is contagious. Rather than retire, she chose to continue teaching because she wanted to experience a new “Reading First” program in order to see what she could learn! Liz and her colleagues spent many out-of-school hours planning and processing the new material so that they would be ready to share it with the students. Liz possesses a dry sense of humor, coupled with a love of literature and a driving passion to share her enjoyment of life. She truly inspires her students.
Liz was part of the first elementary education graduating class from Alfred University. Her first teaching experience involved a kindergarten class of forty-five students who were starting school for the first time! Liz believes that she will never lose her excitement for learning as she continues on her teaching journey.
Kathy Breuer
Kathy Breuer does not conform to the profile of the stereotypical librarian. Her favorite days are when whole classes arrive at the library and it is bursting at the seams with engagement and excitement. She is a master at working with the classroom teachers to create a co-teaching environment that integrates library resources into the everyday curriculum. She does not simply open the library doors and await the arrival of students; Kathy is always planning and preparing in advance with the teachers in order to create a successful learning environment.
Kathy’s nomination is a testament to both her interpersonal skills and the high regard in which she is held among her colleagues and the administration. She is a master teacher with an unbridled passion and commitment to the entire school community at Wellsville.
Kathy sees herself as the “bridge between the curriculum outcomes and the students’ individual interests.”
2006 Winner
Blair Buchholz
Andover Central School
Educator of the Year: 2006
The 11 finalists for Educator of the Year were:
- Sharon Dimmig of Bolivar-Richburg
- Diane Willard of Wellsville
- Carolyn Converse of Belfast
- Blair Buchholz of Andover
- Connie Doyle of Cuba-Rushford
- Janelle Schmidt of Canaseraga
- Nanette Vossler of Genesee Valley
- Martha Young of Alfred Almond
- Amanda LaJoie of Scio
- Eve Munzert of Friendship
- Leanora Tolsma of BOCES
At the annual Educator of the Year banquet, held at Houghton College, Mr. Blair Buchholz, grades 7-12 Technology/Industrial Arts teacher for Andover Central School, was named the Allegany County Educator of the Year for 2006.
Blair is a consummate example of the teacher who instills in his students not only a love for the skills needed in today's world, but he firmly believes that all of us can make our community, our country and the world a better place. Mr. Buchholz is able to bring out the best in all his students, surprising even themselves in what they are able to accomplish. He believes that by helping students to realize their potential and self-worth, they will become better individuals and members of society. Over the years his students have created community signs, benches, toilets, water treatment systems, and sawhorses, amond other projects! Congratulations, Blair!
"I have recently been given the honor of the Educator of the Year and it should not be my distinction alone...I picked up on what others were already doing and it was your sons' and daughters' hard work and their deeds that earned this distinction. In the 26 years I ahve been here in Andover I have seen so many things our students have done to help the school, the community and others in need from the small "fix-it jobs" to the fairly large ones. Everywhere I look in this town I am reminded of all the beautiful gifts that these young people have left for us.
The way I look at this honor is that it belongs just as much to the young people as it does to me."
-Blair Buchholz, Andover Central School
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