CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce’s Paul Hsu Foundation Committee announces the 15 nominees for North Okaloosa County’s best math and science teachers.
Science, technology, engineering and math teachers from the area’s three high schools will be considered for two $5,000 awards presented by engineer and philanthropist Paul Hsu.
In addition, local businesses have added $2,500 for more cash awards, according to committee chairman Dennis Mitchell.
For the second year, Katie Sharon and Shelli Brown, of BBVA Compass Bank, donated $1,000, to be divided among nominees who complete the application process but do not receive the TEAMS prizes.
Through owner Jonathan Dunn and chief financial officer Crystal Boyles, Emerald Coast Aviation, the fixed-base operator at Bob Sikes Airport, added three $500 awards, Mitchell said,
“They are presented to the folks who placed highly in the scoring process,” said Mitchell, who serves on the committee with Hsu, Margareth Larose, Karen Hardell, Shelli Brown, Pam Meadows, Tim Bryant, Paul Lowrey, Phyllis Enzor, Bob Jones and Amanda Negron.
Students, parents, peers or community members nominated the teachers potentially eligible for the prizes, Mitchell said. The nominees have until Jan. 29 to complete their submissions to the committee.
Awards will be presented at the chamber of commerce's March breakfast meeting, for which the Okaloosa County School District is the sponsor.
In the meantime, some of the nominees expressed their thoughts.
"It was an honor to be nominated," Crestview High School math teacher Sandi Bufkin said. If she is named an award recipient, Bufkin said she'd use some of the money to purchase instructional equipment, such as a maptop podium, for her classroom.
"I'm hoping I can showcase what goes on in my classroom," Crestview High allied technologies teacher Shanna Suggs said.
"We prepare kids for certification, which affects their whole future professional lives."
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Editor's Note: A Laurel Hill School spokesperson provided the wrong photo of Wanda Cooper for the first version of the image accompanying this article. The spokesperson has since provided the correct photo. We regret the error.
THE NOMINEES
Baker School:
Stacy Burlison, science
Beth Griffith, math
Darren White, math
Crestview High School
Sandi Bufkin, math
Miranda Delpozo, math
Darron Dubose, math
Angie Fortune, math
Tammy McKenzie, science
Patti Miracle, math
Linda Parker, math
Yolanda Porter, allied tech
Shanna Suggs, allied tech
Laurel Hill School
Debra Adams, math
Wanda Cooper, allied tech
Lena Steele, math
THE T.E.A.M.S. AWARD
The Paul Hsu Foundation’s Teaching Excellence Awards in Math and Science — administered through the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce — is a $5,000 prize awarded to each of two North Okaloosa County high school STEM teachers.
THE T.E.A.M.S. NOMINEES
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 15 North Okaloosa teachers nominated for cash prizes