Sarah Looney ('12, '13M) Finalist for Outstanding First Year Teacher Award

The first in a series of love letters to the College of Education, Sarah Looney ('12, '13M) tells us that she has been chosen as Finalist for Outstanding First Year Teacher Award in Fairfax County Public Schools.

Hi Mrs. Fagan,

I hope you are having a fantastic semester! I just received some exciting news and thought I would share it with you. My school nominated me for the Outstanding First Year Teacher Award this year, and HR just told me today that I was chosen as a finalist for it after they reviewed my application! I was honored just to be nominated in the first place, and I was honestly shocked when they called me today.

I always tell the teachers I work with about my program at JMU and how you and all the teachers I worked with in each school helped to prepare me so much. I really can't thank you enough for everything you taught me to help me become a teacher. I still use your lesson plan template from our practicum and student teaching placements and tons of ideas from your class. There is definitely still a lot to learn, but I think the school I landed in is a great place to do it.

I'll be in touch!

Sarah Looney
Spanish Teacher
Key Middle School

Another JMU Alum, Kathleen Duffy ('12, '13M), was also chosen as a finalist for Outstanding First Year Teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools. She is a 3rd Grade Teacher at Keen Mill Elementary.