Dublin Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Mr. Gregory Souder received a surprise visit Friday from members of the PCPS Central Office staff and a few special guests. Mr. Souder has been selected as the recipient of an award from Blue Eagle Credit Union and WSLS for making a positive impact on his students.
The award, known as the Educational Impact Award, offers a monetary award to both the school and the teacher selected. Teachers are nominated by current or former students for the award based on the impact they had on their lives.
Mr. Souder began his teaching career at Claremont Elementary School before moving to Dublin Elementary. He has now been a teacher for over 26 years. In the nomination from a former student, Mr. Souder was credited for having a lifechanging impact on a particular student. The name of the nominating student was not given.
“It's been over 20 years since Mr. Souder was my fifth-grade teacher, and I cannot begin to express the impact he had on my life. He was the first teacher I ever had that I felt truly believed in me. He saw the diamond in the rough. He helped me see my value and worth as a kid, and that lesson has stuck with me since. I'm 31 now, and I still think of this gentleman often. I am so glad that he is still teaching and impacting kids’ lives today. I went on to push through bullying in school to graduate with a 3.2 GPA, get two associate’s degrees from NRCC, and a bachelor’s degree from Radford University where I made Dean's list several times. I have no doubt that without Mr. Souder I would never have been able to make it through a lot of things I have in life. I am forever grateful.”
Dublin Elementary School and Mr. Souder were each presented with checks for $250 on behalf of Blue Eagle Credit Union and WSLS. Funding for the award is from employees of Blue Eagle Credit Union. According to Laurissa Thompson, Senior Brand Specialist at Blue Eagle Credit Union, the group has given out over $40,000 so far with this award to teachers in the area.
Photos from the event will be posted today. A full video with interviews and the surprise presentation in his classroom will be available and shared soon. Congratulations Mr. Souder!
