HILTON VILLAGE NEIGHBOR SUSAN WOOLLARD

NAMED TEACHER OF THE YEAR

CARROLLTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – SUSAN WOOLLARD:

Susan Woollard feels extremely fortunate; she has a great life.  Making their home in Hilton Village in Newport News, she and her husband, David, have been happily married for 10 years.  Their daughters, Maddison, 6, and Emily, 4, keep their lives full of magic, laughter, and wonder.  During her spare time, Woollard loves “re-experiencing life through my daughters’ eyes and the innocence that encompasses childhood many of us forget.”
 Woollard earned her B.S. degree in education with a minor in exceptionalities from Slippery Rock University and obtained her gifted endorsement through Shenandoah University.  She has been a loyal and dedicated employee of Isle of Wight County Schools throughout her entire 14-year teaching career.  Currently, she teaches gifted students at Hardy and Carrollton Elementary Schools.  She has also taught grades two, four, five, and seven, with each grade level providing its own unique characteristics and challenges.  Woollard became an educator “with the goal of making the world a better place, one child at a time and (I) strive to achieve this.”
“I embrace any opportunity to learn and see education as an integral element of my personal and professional life. I have found my colleagues to be a wonderful source of knowledge and encouragement, and I am truly thankful that I work within an environment of sharing.”  Woollard notes that the person who has had the greatest impact on her teaching career is Wendy Miller-Edwards.  Ten years ago, she had the privilege of serving as Miller-Edwards’ mentor and, as often happens, found this to be a great learning experience for both of us.  In fact, Woollard credits Miller-Edwards with inspiring her to become a great teacher!

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters as to what lies within us.”  According to Woollard, the passion to make a difference is what lies within her.