FACULTY AWARDS & HONORS
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
The heart of the Starkville Oktibbeha School District continues to be the strength of our teachers and administrators. SOSD’s highly qualified faculty exemplifies a passion for teaching and boasts advanced degrees and a lengthy list of awards and accomplishments. Year after year, teachers, administrators and programs in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District are recognized for outstanding achievement through various awards and honors, including:
- National Distinguished Principals program - Mississippi Representative
- Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching
- John K. Bettersworth Mississippi History Teacher of the Year
- Starkville Area Education Hall of Fame
- SOAR Teachers of Distinction
- National History Day Sacrifice for Freedom: World War II Student and Teacher Institute
- MS All State Lion’s Band Concert Director
- Mississippi Governor’s School Faculty
- Rural School and Community Trust Fellowship
- Mississippi Scholastic Press Association Administrator of the Year
- Mississippi Scholastic Press Association Advisor of the Year
- Mississippi Marketing Teacher of the Year
- Mississippi-Alabama All Star Head Coach, Football
- Starkville Daily News Coach of the Year, Basketball
- National Endowment for the Humanities Landmark Summer Scholar
- RURAL TRUST Global Teacher Fellowship
- Senator Thad Cochran MS Economics Teacher of the Year
- Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award, Junior National History Day
- MS Project Learning Tree Environmental Educator of the Year
- Mississippi LEGO Robotics Mentor Award
- Herb Handley Outstanding New Teacher, Mississippi Science Teacher’s Association
- New York Stock Exchange Graduate Program Fellow
- Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching Finalist
- Senator Thad Cochran Forum on American Enterprise, Featured Panelist
- Federal Reserve Educator Advisory Board Appointment
- Ernestine Ferrell Award for Excellence in Choral Music
- Mississippi Scholastic Art Awards, Blick Award
- Kinsey Collection Exhibit at Mississippi State University, Featured Lecturer
- James Patterson Grant Award Winner, Sudduth Elementary
- K-8 STEM Initiative Enhancement Project
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Wellness Incentive for Starkville Partnerships, including Gardening & Overall Wellness (GrOW) Classroom
- Innovative Approaches to Literacy
- School Climate Project
- Misissippi Association of Partners in Education Partnership Excellence Award, The Partnership School @ Mississippi State University
- Mississippi Rural Teacher of the Year - 3rd Congressional District
- All Area Coach of the Year - Football
- Mississippi Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) New Teacher of the Year
- Mississippi Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) Administrator of the Year
- College Football Playoff Foundation "Extra Yard for Teachers" program
- Mississippi Principal Advisory Council
- MSU Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program
- Mississippi Farm Bureau Teacher of the Year
- PREPS Growth Award
- MDE District of Innovation
- PREPS Hugh I. Peck Memorial Research Award
Sudduth Elementary principal, Dr. Morgan Abraham, was honored as Mississippi's 2024 representative in the National Distinguished Principals program, and attended the recognition ceremony in Washington DC to share about her work at Sudduth.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District faculty currently includes over 40 staff members who have earned National Board certification as NBC Teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists, School Counselors and Nurses. National Board Certified Teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists.
Click here to view a list of National Board certified staff.
STATE-WIDE RECOGNITION
Four SOCSD faculty members have been recognized as Mississippi Teacher of the Year while three faculty members have been honored as finalists in the TOY Program:
- 1989 — Nelle Elam
- 1994 — Theresa Pitts, Finalist
- 1995 — Kay Krans, Finalist
- 1997 — Tina F. Scholtes
- 2002 — Paul M. Cuicchi
- 2003 — Andrew Lark
- 2011 — R.J. Morgan, Finalist
- 2015 — Ginger Tedder, Finalist
- 2021 — Janna Paes, Finalist
- 2023 — April Dill, Finalist
Fifteen SOCSD faculty members have been inducted into the
Mississippi Hall of Master Teachers:
- 1991 — Sherry W. Swain
- 1993 — Dianne Faulk
- 1993 — Jane W. Lusk
- 1994 — Theresa Pitts
- 1995 — Robbie Miller
- 1997 — Tina Fisher Scholtes
- 1998 — Marsha W. Moore
- 2000 — June D. Barnett
- 2001 — Rosemary C. Cuicchi
- 2001 — Reba D. Thompson
- 2002 — Paul M. Cuicchi
- 2003 — Sherrill M. Wiygul
- 2004 — Elizabeth Pollard
- 2006 — Debbie Vanderford
- 2007 — Rusty Coats
- 2014 — Tassie Rosamond
Andrew Lark, 2003 Mississippi Teacher of the Year, teaching photography outdoors.
LOCAL RECOGNITION
Merrill Hawkins Excellence in Education Award
The Merrill Hawkins award was established by the Starkville Rotary Club to honor an outstanding teacher each year. The award is to be presented to an active teacher in a school within Oktibbeha County whose technique, dedication, and expertise has brought distinction to their classroom accomplishments.
The award was named for Dr. Merrill Hawkins, a former Rotary District 6820 governor and dean of the College of Education at Mississippi State University. In addition to recognition and presentation of a plaque, the Starkville Rotary Club will provide a $1,000 grant to support the educational program of the recipient.
Past SCOSD recipients:
- Paul Cuicchi
- Amy Ellis
- Bonnie Feig
- Andrew Lark
- Kristie Williams
- Ty Adair
- Julie Miller
Paul Cuicchi Innovative Educator Award
The Starkville Foundation for Public Education celebrates educators who inspire their students to become lifelong learners and active participants in the world around them. In 2010 the Starkville Foundation For Public Education created the Innovative Educator Award in honor of Dr. Paul Cuicchi, who taught at Starkville High School for 33 years.
- 2010 — Dr. Paul Mark Cuicchi
- 2011 — Ty Adair
- 2012 — Dell Mitchell
- 2013 — R.J. Morgan
- 2014 — Tassie Rosamond
- 2015 — Andrew Lark
- 2018 — Dr. Jessica Tegt
- 2019 — Niki Mulrooney
- 2020 — Vijay Pacharne
- 2021 — Victoria Caves
Starkville-Oktibbeha Achieving Results (SOAR) Teachers of Distinction (formerly GSDP Education Hall of Fame)
The Teachers of Distinctios Award (formerly the GSDP Education Hall of Fame Award) is presented by Starkville-Oktibbeha Achieving Results (SOAR) and recognizes area residents who have achieved state, regional, and national recognition in the field of education. It honors those who have achieved distinction in the field of education through their teaching, research, writing, academic achievements, and professional society participation.
Starkville Oktibbeha School District SOAR Teachers of Distinction award winners include:
- 1998 — Joan M. Butler
- 1988 — Jane W. Lusk
- 1989 — Paul M. Cuicchi
- 1990 — Nelle D. Elam
- 1991 — Sherry Seale Swain
- 1993 — Anne G. Bonner
- 1993 — Diane T. Faulk
- 1994 — Rosa Stewart Rogers
- 1995 — Nellie Epps
- 1996 — Pamela S. Hunt
- 1996 — Fenton Peters
- 1997 — Larry L. Box
- 1997 — Kay C. Krans
- 1998 — Paula Mabry
- 1999 — June D. Barnett
- 2000 — Janet Henderson
- 2000 — Tina Sholtes
- 2005 — Andrew Lark
- 2005 — Theresa B. Pitts
- 2005 — James H. Smith
- 2007 — Libby C. Pollard
- 2012 — Robin Dibble
- 2013 — Amy Ellis McReynolds
- 2014 — Ty Adair
- 2015 — Stan Miller
- 2017 — April Dill
- 2017 — Ty Adair
- 2017 — Henri Sue Kennard
- 2019 — Denise Adair
- 2019 — Mallory Carlisle
- 2020 — Tammy Gammill
- 2020 — Niki Mulrooney
- 2020 — Dane Peagler
- 2021 — Chelsi Brasher
- 2021 — Erin Landrum
- 2021 — Vijay Pacharne
- 2022 — Brook Corban
- 2022 — Emily Denny
- 2022 — Kathryn Griffin
- 2023 — Carrie Powell
- 2023 — April Dill