COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Educator of the Year Nominees
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hree Stow-Munroe Falls City School District educators were nominated for awards at the 2021 Summit County Education Celebration. The Summit County Educational Service Center recognized the top educators in Northeast Ohio at the 13th annual Education Celebration on Oct. 21 at the Stow Youth Baseball Hall. This event recognized educators from Summit County and surrounding areas who are making a difference in the lives of students across the region. The celebration was open to 18 school districts, including every district in Summit County and the affiliated districts in Portage County. District administrators, award nominees and their guests were invited to attend the event, which featured an award ceremony and complimentary dinner. During the event, the all-county All-Star Teaching Team, teacher of the year, rookie of the year and lifetime achievement award winners were announced. Nominations were submitted by parents, educators and administrators who feel a teacher deserves recognition for their dedication in the classroom, commitment to the school district and desire to go above and beyond for each child. Among those nominated this year were three educators from Stow-Munroe Falls City School District; Ann Cottrill, Rookie of the Year nominee; Nicole Marconi, Educator of the Year nominee; and John Lacoste, Lifetime Achievement Award Nominee. The Rookie of the Year Award honors local educators with fewer than three years of teaching experience in Summit County who have positively impacted student learning. Ann Cottrill, a school counselor at Stow-Munroe Falls High School, says she was surprised and honored by her nomination for this award. “This nomination means that people recognize that I like to work hard for the district,” Cottrill said. “It’s nice to know that the work I do and the work I’ve put forth has been valuable, and I’m very honored to be recognized.” Cottrill is a SMF alumna and a Kent State University graduate with a Master of Education in School Counseling and Guidance Services K-12. She is an executive board member for the high school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and she is involved with Bulldogs Taking Action, a group of staff and students that celebrates
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From left: Nicole Marconi, Educator of the Year nominee; John Lacoste, Lifetime Achievement Award Nominee; Ann Cottrill, Rookie of the Year nominee
diversity. As a school counselor, Cottrill assists students, with last names beginning with F-K, with academic, personal, social and future career needs. She is also in charge of the College Credit Plus program, which is a dual enrollment program that allows students to earn college and high school credits at the same time. “I’m here for students first,” Cottrill said. “One of the biggest things that I pride myself on is that students are my number one priority, and all the other stuff comes after what students need each day. The students are always the most rewarding part of this job.” Nicole Marconi, a K-6 reading and math coach at SMFCSD and nominee for Summit County ESC’s 2021 Educator of the Year, agrees that connecting with students is the most rewarding part of working in education. “It’s those lasting relationships that I’ve built with kiddos that means the most.” Marconi said. “Now when those kids see me out, they want to come say hi and tell me things that are going on in their lives. That means I’ve done my job, and I’ve made a meaningful connection, and to me that’s more rewarding than anything.” Marconi is a Kent State graduate, who began her career as a student teacher at Woodland Elementary School in 1998. After
graduating with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education a year later, she returned to Woodland Elementary to teach first grade for four years and then fourth grade for 18 years. This year, she has taken on a new role as a literacy coach for the district, which allows her to help kindergarten through 6th grade teachers meet the needs of the children in their classrooms. Marconi serves on the District Leadership Team, and during her time at Woodland Elementary, she served on the building leadership team, worked with student council and co-founded the Peers Uplifting Peers (PUPs) program. “I’m very happy to say that I’ve spent my entire career at Stow-Munroe Falls,” Marconi said. “I take pride in being a teacher at this district, and I hope to stay here because it is a district that I am very proud to be a part of.” Marconi has worked hard over the last 22 years to make sure her students feel safe and welcome in her classroom, and she feels that the district shares her children-first philosophy. “School should be more than just learning, and I wanted my kids to walk away knowing that I really cared for them,” she said. “Whenever I make decisions, I say to myself, ‘what is best for kids?’ That has always been my guiding principle. I have always felt that Stow puts the kids first and they do everything they can to build relationships with students so that they feel
