Melissa Martin, President of the Hamilton Heights Educational Foundation and Technology Integration Specialist for the district, has been named Husky Hero for the month of August.
Martin, who has been with the district since 2013, has held several roles during her tenure making an impactful difference to the corporation, her colleagues, students, and their families.
Here’s what a few folks had to say about Martin:
“Melissa is ALL for TEACHERS!” She makes our teaching easier and better by helping us find resources and doing ‘behind the scenes’ work to help make special study trips happen. Her servant’s heart is a blessing!” – Kim Lodge, HHES fourth grade teacher
“One of my goals in life is to be like Melissa Martin! Her positivity and caring heart are beautiful! We all can count on her to have a smile on her face, a kind word, and a helping hand! Thank you, Melissa, for being one of my swimming partners! Thank you for playing great music while we swim! Love you!” – Laurie Smucker, HHES first grade teacher
“I want to be Melissa Martin!” “She is all in! She is a cheerful face every day and continues to lift everyone up! She does what it takes to make staff and students better! She is always willing to collaborate and be a sounding board! Melissa Martin Rocks!” – Kathleen Davidson, HHES instructional coach
“I always say I want to be like Melissa Martin when I grow up. I can always count on Melissa to have a smile on her face, no matter how tough a day it has been. She cares and loves deeply. She will always pop in and check on us. When her to-do list is a million pages long, she will sit and listen to our concerns, stressors, worries, whatever it may be – both professionally and personally. Melissa is there for us no matter what. She will do whatever it takes to make our lives as teachers easier. I cannot even begin to express how appreciative and grateful I am that we get to work and live alongside Melissa Martin.” – Lauren Knapp, HHES fourth grade teacher
“Melissa Martin is one of a kind! “She is always ready and willing to take on any task. She is definitely a HUSKY HERO!” – Julie Harvey, HHES fourth grade teacher
“Melissa is a very positive person and a go-getter! She also tries to make a positive influence on the culture with her daily emails of ‘encouragement.’ Melissa doesn’t always know the answer to a question, issue, or problem; however, that doesn’t stop her from jumping in and collaboratively supporting that idea or that person. We appreciate her and her contributions to HHES!” – Ken Watson, HHES assistant principal
“Melissa Martin is a team player! She always jumps in to help even when she may not have the time. She is kind and fun to be around. We are very blessed to have her here at HHES.” – Sarah Julian, HHES second grade teacher
“Melissa is an amazing tech integration teacher, team player, friend, and encourager. She actively looks for ways to help kids be more creative and help teachers get more excited about teaching. In short…she has all the GOOD VIBES and being around her lifts me up!” – Tricia Rudy, HHES student services coordinator
“Melissa Martin is a genuine picture of servant leadership. Her love and care for everyone around her is so evident. Melissa Martin is the definition of Husky Hero!” – Nikki Wert, HHES counselor
“Melissa is such a willing supporter! She is genuinely excited about any proposed project in my classroom and helps make it happen! She helps students and teachers! We are lucky to have her at our school!” – Nisha Steele, HHES kindergarten teacher
“We love you Melissa Martin! She helps us all be the very best version of ourselves with her positivity and service-oriented heart. She is always ready to help us and all in when it comes to supporting HHSC!” – Julie Griffey, HHES principal
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“I’m nearly speechless at the outpouring of support from my colleagues,” said Melissa Martin, who was completely surprised when presented with the award. “Being selected as a Husky Hero is very humbling. I am very appreciative of this award and of the commitment Craig and Amber Bowen have put forth to kick up this special Husky Hero program through their overall generosity.”
Martin, who wears many hats for HHSC, says her motivation for coming to work every day is to have a positive impact on the staff and students. Based on the responses from her colleagues, Martin has done that and a lot more.
“I love being able to find resources for the teachers and experiences for the students to enhance their learning,” Martin pointed out. “It may be the third-grade Hamilton Heights History Tour or fourth-grade trip to the State House for Statehood Day, or through the efforts of the entire HHEF board to help provide funding for teacher grants. I love to see the excitement of the students and teachers! I love sending the daily morning encouragement! Those words of encouragement may be exactly what one person needed that morning to start their day.”
“This award is just one more example of the Hamilton Heights difference,” Martin noted. “Dr. Arrowood often says, at Heights you’ll always find ‘Great kids doing great things.’ I would also add that at Heights you’ll also find ‘Great staff doing great things!’”
Congratulations to August’s Husky Hero! Thank you, Melissa Martin for making an impactful difference at Hamilton Heights and for being a true Husky Hero.
Do you know a Husky Hero? Nomination forms and information about this special recognition program for Hamilton Heights employees are available at bit.ly/hhschuskyhero. The Husky Hero Recognition program is made possible through the Hamilton Heights Educational Foundation in partnership with Craig and Amber Bowen (FC Tucker). #hhedfoundation