This year’s Jenrette award and Jewell award recipients

   The Richard Jenrette and Richard M. Jewell awards are, “designed to promote, recognize and retain excellence in teaching at Broughton High School.” These high honored awards are given to overachieving Broughton faculty who work tirelessly for their profession and their students. 

    The Jenrette award recognizes a special teacher that exceeds the commitment to school students and is celebrated by an award as well as  3,000 dollars. The Jewell award winners receive the award and honor as well as 1,500 dollars. However, it isn’t about the money that comes with it. It is an honor to receive the award for the legacy of the award’s name holders, Broughton High School, and for the students that each of these winners have positively impacted in their time teaching.

   The winners of the Richard M. Jewell awards are five hardworking and overwhelmingly talented teachers: Maria Childrey, Mary Gulledge, Marlin Jones, Lisa Patterson, and Hayat Shawwa. These five deserving winners have been a staple and stronghold in the Broughton teaching community and never fail to do their very best in whatever they accomplish.

   “At times I don’t feel deserving because I’m not a ‘perfect’ counselor and have made some mistakes as I go, but then I’m reminded that it’s not about what I do wrong, but what I’m doing right,” says Ms. Shawwa, a winner of one of the Richard M. Jewell awards who is one of the school counselors and an important member of the Broughton community. Her statements are a great reminder of how hard work pays off, and if someone puts in one hundred percent to something they love and are passionate about, reward will come. 

   She closes in saying, “I’m here to remind all students that it’s okay if we stumble and fall, it happens to me too, what matters is that we keep trying and we are worthy!” Worthiness is not something earned, it is something that everyone already has. No students need to prove themselves, just live and learn through the help of good teachers. 

   This year, for students and teachers alike, it has been a stressful, confusing mess of emotions yet these teachers never failed to inspire and work hard to make school a little less stressful for their co-workers and students.  

   Caroline Olson, an influential, diligent, and abundantly caring teacher received the Richard Jenrette award of excellence this year.  

   “Broughton has always been such a special place for me even before I began teaching here nearly six years ago,” Olson explains.

   “ I work amongst the most phenomenal colleagues and educators, and I am truly honored and humbled to have received the Jenrette Award,” adds Olson. She further explains how her mom and her grandmother were also Broughton graduates and family roots in this school runs deep. Many people have family and friends that have passed through these halls. 

   Thank you Caroline Olson, Maria Childrey, Mary Gulledge, Marlin Jones, Lisa Patterson, and Hayat Shawwa for your service and continued hard work to uphold Broughton’s standard of a positive and joyful learning environment.  

   Especially during a year of new navigation and confusion, it is important to celebrate teachers and lift them up to the highest honor and value that they deserve.