Finding inspiration in our stories

As you may have seen, PeopleAdmin on Monday launched the Inspired2Educate recognition program, which asks current educators to submit stories and videos about a teacher, school staff member, or administrator who inspired them to begin their careers in education. In doing so, we hope this program will help remind young people just how impactful a career in education can be.

So far, we are off to a great start. We have received a number of submissions from across the country, and we are excited to see the momentum building. We are honored to hear such thoughtful stories of inspiration and encouragement from each participant.

Here are a few examples of the stories we’ve received so far. They powerfully demonstrate the many ways educators have a lasting, positive impact on all of our lives.

“Barb Hall, my Mom, inspired me to make a difference in this world. I watched her for over 25 years work in a small town in New Mexico working with Navajos and oil field workers’ kids. She thought every kid deserves to have an education… She not only is my Mom but she is the best teacher I could have asked for. After years of a career in hotels, I made a leap of faith into education and have never looked back. It was by far the best decision I’ve made for my family and most of all, myself.” – Meredith Sonnenfelt, teacher

“During my senior year in high school, I had an amazing English 4 teacher, Sharon Spears. Mrs. Spears was an above-average English teacher, but she was beyond expectations as a “life” teacher for me. She taught me that I had value and worth. She taught me that I wasn’t stupid and that I had the potential to go to college. She also created a sense of responsibility for me with her… She assisted me in turning in college applications, taking the ACT, and submitting financial aid information. Needless to say, in August of 1992, I became a college student in spite of my mother passing away two weeks before I started this venture.”– Kenny Border, superintendent

https://peopleadmin.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/inspired_social_image.jpg“Being an immigrant in this country has been a difficult journey. I grew up in a small town where there were very few other Latinos… Then I started 4th grade with Mrs. Vasquez. She was a large woman who was tall and rotund. She spoke both Spanish and English, which was amazing, because I realized that there were other people who were bilingual like myself… She also helped me to gain pride in my family, my heritage, and myself. It was from those days on that I began to dream that one day I could become a teacher.” – Elizabeth Ramos Torres, math educator

These are just a few examples of the powerful, inspiring stories we are receiving every day. We hope you will join our efforts by submitting your own story, and sharing it on social media with the hashtag #inspired2educate.
Let’s work together to build awareness and show our support for past, present, and future generations of educators. We look forward to reading your stories.