By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Abrienne Pince, Lincoln Elementary third-grader, was honored with the student Best of the Best Award for February for her friendship to other students and her natural leadership abilities.

She was nominated by her teacher Larissa Whitney.

“Abrie is someone who has stood out since the beginning of the school year,” Whitney said, “especially for her selflessness and her ‘How can I help you, Miss Whitney?’ and her overall demeanor. I have a classroom full of students who need a friend and Abrie accepts that challenge every day.

“I see her walking to school every day with her shoulders held high. She has this confident smile, and it is almost if she is on a mission.”

Whitney said Abrie helps other students when she can, befriending them on the playground or walking with them at school.

During a beginning-of-the-year get-to-know-you exercise, almost every student listed Abrie as a good friend.

“I thought that was amazing,” Whitney said. “She is already a natural leader and it was only the first week of school.”

Whitney continued, “She loves others so well, so I hope that tonight, Abrie, you are soaking this all up like a sponge, and I want you to know how much we love you and I hope you feel so loved. Honestly, we need more Abries in this world. I could see her sitting on a panel of a board some day. I could see her being our first lady president if that is what you want to do.”

Whitney also praised Abrie’s parents. Abrie’s father, Bill, bought pizza for the class after they completed their reading workshop. Whitney used the pizza as an opportunity to teach a lesson on fractions and division.

Abrie’s mom brought in Halloween treats and lead the class in make-and-take craft projects for both Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

“Our classroom has been blessed by this family,” Whitney said. “I am sad I only have a couple more months with Abrie, but I hope she will come back and help with our classroom every year in some sort of capacity.”

Kathy Wagoner

Kathy Wagoner, Hays High language arts teacher, was honored with the February’s Hays USD 489 staff Best of the Best Award for her work on the HHS job fair.

She was nominated by Sue Rouse, HHS office staff member.

Wagoner also co-sponsors student council.

“She is one of the people who actually brings the community in, so they have a knowledge about of what is going on at Hays High,” Rouse said.

Wagoner started a program with the help of Tammy Wellbrock, director of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce, to bring professionals into the high school to help students develop resumes and interview skills. This was the second year for the program, and about 50 professionals participated this year.

“As the office person, I was so excited … to see so many strong and professional people coming in. They were quality people doing the interviewing,” Rouse said. “When they came back to the office to sign out, they were so excited because they had met some really awesome kids with some awesome goals. Three of [the students] even commented they were thinking of going to technical college and coming back and working in Hays.”

Vera Elwood, young adult librarian with the Hays Public Library, was one of the professionals who interviewed students. She also attended the school board meeting Monday to speak on Wagoner’s behalf.

“I have seen no one who has demonstrated a commitment to the Hays High mission statement of empowering all students for tomorrow’s challenges quite like Mrs. Wagoner does,” Elwood said. “Each year she puts in countless hours to create the mock job fair for seniors.”

Wagoner recruits local hiring professionals throughout the community as volunteers, works with the seniors in advance to prepare resumes, teaches them interview skills and talks to them about professional behavior and attire.

“Then she brings it all together for days of crazy scheduling to make it all work to have job skill panels and mock interviews for every senior in the high school,” Elwood said. “This allows the students to practice real-word skills and network with potential bosses in the community.”

Elwood interviewed dozens of seniors and sat on multiple panels during this year’s job fair.

“I have seen how serious the seniors take this exercise and how big of an impact it can have on their lives,” she said. “I interviewed a student who had just landed her first job. I interviewed a student who was in the process of applying for technical school and was very worried about the interview portion. I met a student who had already started her own business and met a student who already had eight years of working experience by his senior year because of working on his family farm, and we talked about how to translate that onto a resume.

“I even interviewed one student who I was so impressed by that when she emailed me a thank you note, I responded with an application to my library because I really wanted to keep her in the community.

“Every student I spoke to was so prepared to leave the halls of Hays High and represent their alma mater in the real world, and none of the that would have been possible without the work and dedication of Mrs. Wagoner.”

Wagoner acknowledged her fellow teachers Alicia Brungardt and Diane Mason who work as a team on the job fair.