The “Be Golden” award is a new faculty and staff recognition program at the high school.

This award is given weekly by a faculty/staff member to another faculty/staff member. Whoever receives the trophy on Friday is responsible for awarding it to someone else the following week. The only criteria are to give it to someone who has done something to make the school a better place.

“With the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiative in our school, we want to not only recognize students for being golden but staff members as well,” said Shannon Davis, the award program coordinator. “This is a way to personally thank people we work with every day, but don’t always have the chance to show them how much they are appreciated.”    

Last week the award went to Mr. Cummins McNitt.

Mr. McNitt chose to give the award to Health Tech teacher Christie Taylor.

Mr. McNitt’s Quote:

“Christie, you are our very own “Florence Nightingale!”  Your laugh cures our woes, your smile brightens our days, and your spirit lifts our souls! There isn’t a day goes by that you aren’t inspiring your students and encouraging your peers.  Dedication must be your middle name, for you are always making our school a better place, whether it be through your blood drives, advising HOSA, organizing “Easter for Eli,” food drives, or running the post-football game cleanups.  Each year you guide our students through their clinical experiences and the ups and downs of figuring out their future choices.  On top of all of this, you remain active with your church and community. We salute you, we thank you and we celebrate you!! Congratulations!!”

The Eagle Eye interviewed Mrs. Taylor about being this week’s award winner:

Eagle Eye: What encouraged you to become a teacher?

Christie Taylor: “I never thought of becoming a teacher until I started working as the assistant in the Health Tech program.  (Health Tech students have heard about my disdain of taking work home.  Although, I never minded doing work in school.). I really liked sharing my medical knowledge and experiences as an RN.  As a classroom assistant, I was in awe with the interest the students showed with the things I would do routinely.“

EE: What do you enjoy most about being a teacher?

CT: “I like the idea of helping students find their career path, especially if it is in medicine.  Students learn about topics that I learned in nursing school if I was lucky. (Much of the most valuable things I learned was on the job, helping people.)  Even if a student doesn’t want to get into healthcare, I hope they learn something about the body and how it works.”

EE: Is this your dream job? If not, what is?

CT: ” I would say teaching is my dream job.  I come in every day and do what I love to do.  I can’t say I would be able to teach just anything.  Medicine and helping people is my passion.  Teaching on these topics is the highlight of it all.“