Passionate, dedicated, selfless, and patient are just a few words that describe the deserving winner of the Crystal Apple Award. So many in this room are equally deserving, but there is something incredibly special about this individual we are honoring today.
Susan Anderson: colleague, cheerleader, and confidant is a friend to so many of us. Susan is an exceptional educator. Her passion for the content shines through in everything she teaches, her love for students is demonstrated in every interaction, and her dedication to the profession is to be admired and respected. Susan constantly places the needs of all students at the forefront of her mind: whether it's through a personalized birthday parody, a showcase of student creativity in her Haiku corner, or a safe place for students to land, decompress, and reap the benefit of the charging station in her room.
While each of us provide unique experiences for every student who enters our classrooms, Susan deserves to be recognized because she is a light to all who know her. To know Susan is to feel heard, to be accepted, and to be valued. Her strength of character and positive outlook in the face of a tonnage of adversity, is a lesson for each of us in what it truly means to be unconquerable.
Susan, you are Invictus. Congratulations!