Two District Five educators named SCBEA Teachers of the Year
February 11, 2016
Two educators from Lexington-Richland School District Five have been named Teachers of the Year by the South Carolina Business Education Association (SCBEA).
Irmo High School’s Carolyn Diaz was presented with this year’s SCBEA Secondary Teacher of the Year Award, and Chapin Middle School’s Donna Bowman was awarded the SCBEA Middle School Teacher of the Year honor. The District Five teachers were honored Feb. 6 during the SCBEA annual conference for their “dedication and leadership” to business educators statewide.
Diaz currently teaches occupational education and serves as department chair at Irmo High School, where she has worked for more than eight years. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Berea College and a master’s degree in classroom leadership.
“It’s really exciting…almost unbelievable. Most teachers don’t think of what they do…We just do it every day for the students,” Diaz said. “Business education is important because these are the skills that are needed for many jobs. Whether students are going into college after high school or going into careers, they need leadership and business skills…a real thirst to get whatever skills they need to get good jobs and take the next step. That’s what I hope to teach my students…the skills needed for the 21st century.”
Bowman has been teaching business education for 14 years, including five years at Chapin High School and three years at Chapin Middle School. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in management from Florida State University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Carolina.
“I was excited and honored to win this award. It signifies that my efforts to provide a meaningful education for my students, to further my knowledge of teaching business education, and to share with other teachers have been recognized,” Bowman said. “Business Education is important for all students. They learn technology skills, financial literacy, economic principles and the ability to be flexible in a changing work environment. These are all skills that will help our students become leaders in society and help them develop decision-making skills they will use in all aspects of their lives”
A professional resource for business educators, SCBEA aims to provide teachers “with current information on new trends in the field, speakers in various topics of interest, and effective leadership in business education.” The SCBEA Awards Program was established to recognize business educators annually in South Carolina who have made significant accomplishments in the field. One person is recognized annually by the group from the Middle School/Junior High, Secondary, Post Secondary, New Teacher, Supervision and Teacher Educator levels.
