As school is winding down for the final weeks of 2024-25 school year, seven of Logan County’s best teachers from each of the area school districts were treated to a three-course gourmet meal and special recognition Monday, May 5, at Quest Federal Credit Union’s Teachers of the Year luncheon.
Quest CEO Matt Jennings and Grant Reppart, community relations manager, said the annual awards and luncheon began in 2019 as a way to give back to teachers who give so much to their students all year long.
“We believe it’s important to honor our teachers all year,” Jennings said during the event at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center’s Sloan Inn. “As we head toward graduation and the end of the school year, it’s an ideal time to tell our teachers thank you.”
Fellow staff members, administrators, students and parents were among the nominators of this year’s recipients. Then the nominations make their way through a committee of fellow educators from other communities to review the submissions and pick the award winners.
“It’s a competitive process,” Jennings noted. “Our committee of educators has to narrow it down, and then they vote on the Teacher of the Year for each school district.”
The award winners for each of the districts this year are: Heather Rivon, Bellefontaine Middle School instrumental music teacher; Natalie Hays, Benjamin Logan Elementary third-grade teacher; Jolyn Hermiller, Calvary Christian Schools high school science teacher; Mike Pequignot, Indian Lake High School physical education teacher; Christine Schrage, Riverside High School intervention specialist; Brooke Sizemore, Ohio Hi-Point Career Center Animal Science instructor; and Brian Yoder, West Liberty-Salem Middle School and High School computer and accounting teacher.
Following lunch prepared and served by Ohio Hi-Point Culinary Arts students, Jennings read quotes about the dedicated and passionate work put forth by the recipients, while Reppart handed the the award trophies to each of the top teachers.
A student of Rivon’s said she is “kind and helps us when needed” and “knows when to be serious and when to have fun.” Her nominator also said Rivon stepped up to help lead the high school band program as an interim director. The band “recovered and grew” under her leadership.
A parent nominated Benjamin Logan teacher Hays, who has taught in the district for four years. The nominator said in previous school years, her son has been very anxious about school, but this year, his teacher has helped to turn things around for the third-grader.
“This year, my son is doing so well. He is excelling in the classroom and he even helps his teacher with different tasks….She treats each child like they’re her own and she cares so much about them.”
Hermiller, who instructs grades 9-12 science, ranging from physical science to biology, chemistry and physics, “is great at explaining difficult topics,” her nominator said.
“She cares deeply about each student and exemplifies Christ in her actions.”
Pequignot, who has worked for Indian Lake School for 28 of his 29 years of teaching, “tries to make gym class fun for everyone involved, including those who don’t typically enjoy the class,” his nominator related.
A 1991 ILHS graduate, Pequignot is involved with coaching and assisting with a variety of extracurricular activities outside of the regular school day as well.
Animal science instructor Sizemore received accolades from a student nominator, who noted that she is “very understanding and is willing to help no matter what the situation is.”
She’s very “hands on” with the animals in the program, and “when she teaches, she makes it interesting,” her student noted.
Schrage, who has worked at Riverside Schools as an intervention specialist for the past 11 years, helped out extensively this past school year while another teacher was out on maternity leave, filling in any gaps that came up, her nominator said.
She also recently came alongside a student who was struggling to graduate, and put the extra time in and gave up planning periods to work with the pupil and boosted the student’s confidence.
Yoder knows about 90 percent of the student body at West Liberty-Salem on a first-name basis, his nominator noted.
“He makes it a friendly and welcoming environment for all of our students.”
Quest Federal Credit Union expressed appreciation to these award winners, as well as those nominated, for being excellent leaders in the education of the students of Logan County.
They also recognized the hard-working students in the OHP Culinary Arts program under the leadership of Chef Jason Cobb, and offered a round of applause for the student chefs after the meal.