From coast to coast, National Life Do Gooders, both home office and field partners, we’re showing up in schools to surprise K-12 staff with the news that they are LifeChanger of the Year winners.
This week, four school employees were surprised with LifeChanger awards and a fifth will receive a Thank A LifeChanger award later today.
On site to celebrate Elias Brantley (center) was Roberto Abele (right) and local agent Steve Larkin (left)
The string of pop-ups kicked off Tuesday in New Jersey at Irvington High School, part of Irvington Public Schools, where Elias Brantley was named a LifeChanger.
Elias is a math teacher whose contributions extend well outside the walls of the classroom. On top of the extensive tutoring hours he offers – even through the summer months – he is also the head boys’ basketball coach. Students in this area come from economically disadvantaged households and struggle to afford sneakers, warm up gear and other important items to play basketball. To overcome this obstacle, Elias started his own screen printing business selling Irvington apparel to community members and using the profits to outfit his players.
On site to celebrate Elias was Roberto Abele from our Retirement Services team and local agent Steve Larkin. Later that day, Brenda Young, an English Language Arts Teacher in Los Angeles Unified School District was also recognized as a LifeChanger winner.
Brenda is known for this mantra: “You will not fail on my time.” She works in a continuation school in a high poverty area and her students are there because they did not exceed in a traditional high school setting. Many of her students have been marginalized and have not developed their own voice and confidence. Brenda works tirelessly to change the trajectory of her students.
Appreciation agent Jen Johnson and Kristin Stroth of our Retirement Services team surprised Brenda during a school wide town hall.
The next day two more employees were surprised with this recognition.
Sandra Kowalczyk of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was recognized as a LifeChanger in front of over 50 fellow faculty members, the school principal, and district representatives.
With over 28 years as a literacy educator and 19 years as the Reading Specialist at Patrick Marsh Middle School, Kowalczyk has made positive impacts on the lives of thousands of students. She aims to create conditions for all students to learn while building student, college, community, and global partnerships. Her literacy intervention programs are geared toward below-grade level readers including immigrants, English language learners, and students living in poverty, homelessness, foster care, or with disabilities.
With visiting over 60 countries under her belt, she brings a special global awareness to the classroom, inspiring her students to get to know the world around them through reading, exploration, and travel.
Among her many awards and accolades (far too many to list here!), Kowalczyk was also the first middle school teacher in her district to earn National Board Teacher Certification, and she has also presented and is published locally, statewide, nationally and internationally.
But, it’s not the awards or the stamps in her passport that show her effectiveness as an educator. It’s her true commitment to fostering life long global competency and activism in education. “If I can get a reluctant reader excited about books, then it’s not short term, it’s really something that’s lasting,” said Kowalczyk.
Meanwhile in Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado, Sandy Austin who works as a school counselor at Pomona High School, was surprised during a larger educator recognition assembly. Bill Aikman of our Retirement Services team along with Jamila Nathaniel of Appreciation Financial shared the exciting news in front of 100 other school employees up for recognition awards.
Sandy’s specialty lies with school violence and promoting inclusion. She was a responding counselor to Columbine, dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy which inspired her to develop a student led program that focuses on inclusion and empathy. Her program was so effective that it spread to other neighboring district schools, then schools state-wide, and eventually across the country. Today her program can be found in schools internationally.
Sandy also attended the National Coalition for Safe Schools inaugural Safe Schools Summit this March which is funded by National Life.
All four LifeChanger of the Year winners received a $3,000 cash prize to split with their schools along with national recognition.
Below: National Life’s own Allison Steinmetz and Joe Bousquet celebrate Sandra Kowalczyk’s LifeChanger recognition with students in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin