Lifelong Hamilton teacher named educator of the year

Harry T. Wilks Celebrates Education 2014 grant recipients

Five Hamilton teachers were honored as finalists for the Harry T. Wilks Hamilton Celebrates Education awards, but only one could be chosen as Educator of the Year.

Carol Christian, a sixth grade science teacher at Riverview Elementary School who has taught in the Hamilton City School District since 1980, won a $3,000 honorarium to use within the school district at the 12th annual award ceremony on Thursday evening.

“The real honor is truly being nominated,” Christian said after she received the award for Educator of the Year, and thanked her coworkers at Highland Elementary, where she taught for more than 15 years before moving to Riverview for the 2014-15 school year.

A self-described “Hamilton product” who has worked her entire career in the Hamilton City School District, Christian told the more than 200 in attendance that “my success was Hamilton’s success.”

Thirteen educators were nominated by representatives of their school for the educator of the year award, which is sponsored by the Hamilton Community Foundation. A judging committee comprised of local educators from Miami University, members of the Hamilton Community Foundation, members of Wilks’ family, and local community members selected the finalists and winner of the award.

Christian was selected for her leadership in the field of science, authoring the procedures for the school district’s science fair, and her service to the Hamilton City Tree Board, organizing the Arbor Day celebrations for the past 14 years and helping Hamilton attain the Tree City USA designation eight years in a row. A few years ago, she led an effort to raise money to plant native Ohio trees in Hamilton, resulting in more than 125 trees being planted at eight elementary schools. Those trees are now being labeled with plaques to help students learn more about tree species.

“I’m a Carol Christian fan, always have been” said Ridgeway Elementary School Principal Kathy Wagonfield. “We all support each other, and it’s not all about one school or one person. I am thrilled that she won the award.”

The other finalists included Suellen Albert, fifth grade science teacher at Ridgeway Elementary; Rob Clark, sixth grade teacher at Brookwood Elementary; Gina Helms, director of campus ministry at Stephen T. Badin High School; and Kristin Kwiat, reading intervention specialist at Wilson Middle School. Each finalist won a $500 honorarium for use within the school district.

“When you have kids who struggle a bit and then gets that ‘aha’ moment and they get it, that’s what education is really about,” Christian said.

The dinner also recognized 16 educators who received classroom grants through the foundation’s education grant program. Normally narrowed down to eight recipients, the foundation matched the number of teacher grants awarded from the Harry T. Wilks fund for 2014 as a memorial to the late philanthropist and education proponent for one year only. Wilks, a longtime donor and supporter of charitable causes in Hamilton, passed away in March at the age of 89. He established a fund at the foundation to provide program grants and honor dedicated educators.

“Harry T. Wilks has left a great legacy of honoring education, and we’re proud to once again recognize deserving educators in the Greater Hamilton area,” said Betsy Hope, vice president of communications for the Hamilton Community Foundation. “His tremendous generosity toward the community he loved truly lives on.”