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Honoring our Richmond Young Professional Teachers

In honor of teacher appreciation week, Special Olympics Virginia is recognizing some of the amazing teachers that volunteer with and provide support for our athletes.

We are fortunate to have several teachers that are active on the Young Professionals Board (YPB) and have gone above and beyond to serve our athletes.

Thanks to all these phenomenal educators for all that you do inside and outside of the classroom! We appreciate you!

Alisha

Alisha is an Early Childhood Special Education teacher in the Chesterfield County School district. Although this is her first year with YPB, her service has already made a significant impact on her community and in the lives of her students.

Alisha’s devotion to the inclusion revolution is evident in her goals as a member of the YPB. She explained that she jumped at the chance to join YPB “to become better connected with our community and to help my student's families become better connected within the community”

In addition to her involvement in the YPB, Alisha also serves on Special Olympics Virginia’s Social and the Inclusion and Diversity Committees

Jenn

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Jenn is a 5th grade teacher in the Henrico County School district. She has been a member of the YPB since 2018. Over the past few years, Jenn has served as chair of the volunteer committee and as a member of the volunteer, social, and nominating committees

Her favorite part about being involved with Special Olympics Virginia is volunteering with the athletes at the regional basketball tournament, swim champs, and Summer Games.

Special Olympics Virginia would like to congratulate Jenn on her 18th year of teaching, thank you for all that you do to support your students and our athletes!

Claire

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Claire is a Special Education teacher in the Chesterfield County School district. She has served on the YPB for three years and has been on the recruitment and engagement committee, the fundraising committee, and the volunteer committee. As a firm believer in the Inclusion Revolution, Claire became involved with the YPB so that she could positively impact the lives of individuals with disabilities outside of the school setting.

While teaching during the pandemic has been challenging, Claire credits her students for uplifting her days: “This past year has been challenging navigating the ups and downs of pandemic teaching, but I'm grateful for my students who keep me laughing”.

Jessica

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Jessica is a physical education teacher in the Chesterfield County School district. In her position she works closely on the Little Feet Meet for her school and loves every minute of it! She’s most excited for next year as her class will transition to Unified PE!

Although new to the YPB, she has jumped right in and currently serves as the chair of the social committee. Throughout this year she has worked diligently with her team to create fun virtual events for the members

Samantha

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Samatha just transitioned to a new position with DODEA schools, teaching at Quantico. As a Special Education teacher, she most enjoys watching her students participate in Special Olympics events which brought her to get more involved with the YPB. She joined in 2020 despite the pandemic and has been an amazing addition to the team!