JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
"Congratulations!" Michael Gillette, Humanities Texas executive director, said in an email to Deborah Magnon-Nolting, Randolph High School humanities teacher. "Humanities Texas has selected you to receive a 2012 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award."
Along with the honor of ranking her among the best humanities teachers in the state, Humanities Texas gave Magnon-Nolting $5,000 to complement her achievement, as well as $500 to benefit the Randolph humanities department in whatever way she sees most fitting.
Of the 300 teachers nominated in Texas, 13 received the statewide award.
Once notified, Magnon-Nolting selected the date she would be presented her award by Congressman Lamar Smith.
"I requested Sept. 17 specifically because it was the Constitution's 225th birthday," she said.
In support of Magnon-Nolting, the Randolph High School student body and faculty assembled as she received the award. Along with representatives from Humanities Texas, including Gillette, the Randolph marching band performed, and two Randolph seniors, Aliyah Encarnacion and Danielle Derlein, presented a speech on the American Constitution.
"This award recognizes not only Ms. Magnon-Nolting's skill and talent as a teacher, but also her dedication to the educational excellence of her students," Smith said. "As any parent knows, it is not always easy to teach our children lessons they need to know for their future. As a society, we entrust much of that work to our teachers. Ms. Magnon-Nolting deserves our appreciation and gratitude for her extraordinary efforts on behalf of our children."
Her plan for the award money she received is to continue her own professional development.
"I'm always going to be going to school," she said. "I'm a lifelong learner."
Of her 35 years teaching, 19 have been at Randolph.
"I've wanted to be a teacher since I was about 4 years old," Magnon-Nolting said. "I'm a social studies teacher; that's all I've ever wanted to teach and that's all I've ever wanted to do."