CRESTVIEW — Thursday morning, two North Okaloosa science, technology or math teachers will each receive $5,000 with no strings attached. Just for being fantastic teachers who inspire students to excel in STEM disciplines.
The two will be chosen from a group of nine high school teachers at Baker School, Crestview High School and Laurel Hill School. Names were submitted by colleagues, students, parents, school administrators or members of the community.
Okaloosa County engineer and philanthropist Paul Hsu established the Teaching Excellence Awards in Math and Science program through his foundation to recognize outstanding educators in fields dear to him. TEAMS prizes will be awarded annually over the next 10 years.
A Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce committee, chaired by retired Troy University professor and former chamber of commerce president Dennis Mitchell, convened to review nominations.
Committee members are former Crestview High School principal Bob Jones, current president of the Florida Association of School Administrators; former chamber president Karen Hardell; Paul Lowrey; Pam Meadows; Hsu; Amanda Negron; Phyllis Enzor; Shelli Brown; and legal adviser Jason Negron.
The TEAMS committee will align with the new Crestview Area Chamber Foundation next year, Mitchell said.
The two recipients will be announced at tomorrow morning’s monthly chamber of commerce breakfast meeting.
Guests at the announcement will include Director General Philip Wang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami and Dr. Tien-Shuenn Wu, an engineer and officer of the Chinese American Scholars and Professionals Association of Florida.
The next round of nominations will begin with the start of the 2015-16 academic year.
THE FINALISTS
These high school teachers are finalists for the first two $5,000 awards from the Paul Hsu Foundation Teaching Excellence Awards in Math and Science:
•Debra Adams, Laurel Hill School, math
•Melissa Brown, Crestview High School, science
•Stacy Burlison, Baker School, science
•Wanda Cooper, Laurel Hill, information technology
•Sarah Griffith, Baker, math
•Michelle Hokans, Crestview, math
•Fiona Lukas, Baker, math
•Lena Steele, Laurel Hill, math
•Sharon Steen, Crestview, science
BBVA Compass bank will present $100 to the seven finalists who do not win the top award.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article stated that Melissa Brown teaches math. In fact, she teaches science.
The information came from a chamber of commerce spokesperson in charge of the candidates' nomination and selection process.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: $10K in STEM awards to be presented Thursday