Jeanette Allison, fifth grade teacher at Travis Elementary, and Cheryl Dennis, eighth grade science teacher at Greenville Middle School, are being honored as this years’ Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year for Greenville ISD and will compete in the regional Teacher of the Year competition.

Both Jeanette and Cheryl were influenced by life circumstances to become educators. Retaining both positive and negative memories from her days as an elementary student, Jeanette said, “As I grew, the desire to impact lives resonated with me. I knew I wanted to make a difference in children’s lives and I wanted that difference to be a positive change. During my senior year of high school, I hit the ground running and have been teaching in either Bible classes or schools ever since.”

While Cheryl didn’t immediately begin her career in education, her desire to impact lives positively was just as strong. “I see in each little face the potential that they don’t think they even have. I’m able to believe for them even when they can’t. If I can build a well-rounded child, they are a child who isn’t hungry, a child who isn’t sad, a child who feels valued, a child who is empowered, and a child who feels that they can do anything.”

Jeanette and Cheryl were two of the ten teachers named Campus Teachers of the Year as voted on by their campus. After receiving the campus award, they then competed at the district level to receive the designation of District Teachers of the Year. Both teachers will now enter into the Regional phase of the Texas Teacher of the Year competition.

Superintendent Don Jefferies congratulated the teachers saying, “With so many outstanding and highly qualified teachers in GISD, being named District Teacher of the Year is a tremendous honor. Both Jeanette and Cheryl exhibit compassion and vigor, demand excellence from their students, and demonstrate the highest level of teaching. We are proud of what they do each day to drive students to reach their full potential.”