Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Border was chosen as the winner for the story about his 12th grade English teacher who inspired him to attend college and devote his life to educating our next generation of students.
SHALLOWATER, Texas — April 14, 2016 — PeopleAdmin, a leader in talent management software for education, today announced the first winner of its Inspired2Educate program, recognizing a school superintendent who at age 15 went from living in his car to eventually attending college and making education his life’s work — because of one teacher.
Dr. Kenneth Border, the Superintendent of Shallowater Independent School District, received a an award for sharing his story about his 12th-grade English teacher, Mrs. Spears, whose care, encouragement and guidance helped him rise above the difficult life path he thought he was destined to follow.
PeopleAdmin CEO Kermit S. Randa presented Dr. Border with the award at a school assembly held on-site in his honor. Dr. Border received a scholarship to use toward his professional development. A scholarship will also go directly to the Shallowater Independent School District. The district serves about 1,600 students.
“Mrs. Spears saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Dr. Border said. “And she made it possible for me to believe that anything is possible. Just like I hope I can help my students do.”
“We are so pleased to be able to give this award to Dr. Border,” Randa said, “a man who embodies our belief that with the right educators, anything is possible. His story is deeply inspiring and we hope his story, and others shared throughout the Inspired2Educate program, will help show the next generation just how important and impactful a career in education can be.”
Launched on February 22, 2016, Inspired2Educate is designed to honor and celebrate our nation’s educators, while at the same time inspire young people to consider a career in education. The program calls for current educators to share stories of a teacher, administrator, or school staff member who inspired them to pursue education as their life’s work.
Dr. Border said he feels it’s his responsibility to tell his story. His was the first Inspired2Educate submission received, out of more than 80 currently.
“It was important for me to tell my story because in the state of Texas, poverty is growing daily,” Dr. Border said. “For my poverty-stricken kiddos that were like me growing up, if they don’t have someone to look up to, or listen to, it’s very easy for them follow the path that so many others in their community have followed. We have an obligation to let students know that they can achieve anything they want to and that their current situation is not what is going to keep them from achieving it.”
Throughout the remainder of the year, PeopleAdmin will continue to name a winner each month to an educator who submitted a written or video story to the program. Criteria for selection include, but are not limited to, the following: impact and degree of impact on the person’s life, creativity, emotional impact and community benefits. 
“Since launching the program, we have received stories of joy, stories of struggle, and above all — stories of personal growth and transformation. But, ultimately, what strikes me is that each of these stories shows the impact one educator can have on a student’s life. Not just for the time they are in the classroom, but for decades ahead and generations to come,” Randa said.
Randa added that PeopleAdmin believes that developing, finding, and hiring the right educators is the best way to ensure the academic success for the next generation. Inspired2Educate is its way of recognizing some of those great educators and ensuring that our nation’s students get the education they deserve.
About PeopleAdmin
PeopleAdmin is the leading provider of cloud-based talent management solutions for education and government. Its software enables clients to streamline the hiring process, onboard new employees, efficiently manage positions and employee performance, develop compliant and defensible audit trails, and utilize industry-leading reporting and metrics. PeopleAdmin’s integrated talent management suite includes applicant tracking, faculty search committee management, position management, onboarding, and performance management. PeopleAdmin solutions are rapidly deployed, easy to use, and supported through a world-class customer service organization.
About Shallowater Independent School District
Shallowater Independent School District is a public school district based in Shallowater, Texas that serves students in northwestern Lubbock County.