Educator of the Year


I finally finished my first semester of high school, which meant I was forced to sit down with my mom, again, and read the course syllabus for next year. We had all of my classes picked out with the exception of one elective credit that I needed. My mom pointed out the course Medical Terminology and Business Practices. I immediately rejected this idea, especially the thought of sitting through a block class of Med Terms. The description explained how each student would memorize 350 medical terms and would learn to work in a professional business and medical environment—which I wanted nothing to do with. But against my will, my schedule for sophomore year read “Med. Terms 3/4B.”

At this time in my high school career, I had suffered two serious brain injuries, so as one can imagine, memorizing 350 medical terms was not something I was looking forward to. I hesitantly walked into my classroom and was greeted by a dark haired, well dressed, and smiling woman. She gave off a great vibe and had such a relatable personality. It was easy to tell that she was excited to teach this subject and this wasn’t just a job to her. This was her passion.

Mrs. Lemieux teaches World of Business, Personal Finance, Dollars and Sense, and Med Terms. She is completely invested in each one of her classes and she balances her schedule with such ease. Throughout the semester, I developed a personal relationship with Mrs. Lemieux. She was genuinely interested in my life outside of school—I can’t say that about many teachers here. She frequently asked me about how my extracurriculars were going and she was concerned about my plans for the future. During my free periods, I often found myself back in her room venting to her about my high school drama.

One of the many things I admire about Mrs. Lemieux is her willingness to go above and beyond. In Med Terms, students needed to learn about a professional business and medical environment. But instead of learning about it, she wanted us to experience it. With no help from any of the other teachers in the department, she turned the teacher’s lounge into a doctor’s office for her students to practice in. She spent time outside of school gathering medical supplies and furniture needed for this office. She obtained a desk and filing cabinet, two medical examining tables, chairs and tables complete with magazines for the waiting room, curtains to separate the patients from the waiting, and Band Aids, stethoscopes, tongue depressors, scales, blood pressure monitors, hearing tests, and medical charts for every patient.

Getting the hands on experience that she went so far out of her way to make happen, gave me insight into the medical field. I loved every minute of being in Mrs. Lemieux’s Health and Wellness Center.

On top of teaching four classes and putting together a Wellness Center for student simulations, Mrs. Lemieux also works with students who are in the Health Youth Apprenticeship Program. This program is designed for students who want to get a head start in their career and these students take classes at the local college to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. Mrs. Lemieux generously donates her time to these students while ensuring their success in the college classes they are about to take. It’s not hard to tell that she cares about her students futures.
Her dedication to her students and the amount of time she donated to this program is admirable. This was the class that made me want to go into the medical field. I know exactly what I want as a career now and I know I would not have figured that out without the help of Mrs. Lemieux. She made me interested in the subject that I dreaded so much. She was also very attentive to my medical needs at the time and went the extra mile to accommodate the curriculum to my needs. She taught me knew ways to learn and memorize using visuals. She reinvented learning for me and I have used her tactics all through my high school years.
Mrs. Lemieux is someone who teaches because she loves her job and not just for the paycheck. She is determined to see her students succeed and she willingly steps up and goes above and beyond to see her students thrive in the next chapters of their life. I am confident in saying Mrs. Lemiuex is a teacher who prepared me for what’s ahead and she has been not only a role model and a leader, but also a friend.