Meet the latest winner of the Lottery’s Excellence In Education award
Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli presents Kimberly Stevenson with her Excellence in Education check.
A Wayne County educator who is known for building lasting relationships with her students has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.
The award winner, Kimberly Stevenson, is a high school science teacher at Davis Aerospace Technical High School. The school is part of Detroit Public Schools.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence In Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.
Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
State-wide recognition
Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WLUC in Marquette, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City.
“Ms. Stevenson’s illustrious career in education spans more than three decades, during which she has had a profound impact on her students,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “It’s clear she has a passion for science and learning that she has successfully instilled in her students.”
Stevenson said she comes from a family of educators and that inspired her to become an educator.
“Education was always important in my family,” Stevenson emphasized. “My mother was an educator for more than 40 years in the same school district. After graduating from college, I began as a substitute teacher in secondary education.
“When our district offered an alternative pathway to certification and a master’s degree, I jumped at the chance to secure and complete my credentials in education. I feel like I have a duty and a responsibility to our students to give them the best education possible. I was very fortunate to be raised in an environment that emphasized the importance and benefits of getting a good education and feel privileged to share that with my students.”
Nomination says it all
Stevenson was nominated for the award by a colleague.
“Kimberly Stevenson has been a dedicated high school science teacher in the Detroit Public Schools Community District for more than 25 years,” the nomination stated. “In addition to teaching, (Stevenson) has worn several other hats as an educator. She was the facilitator for the STEM 2035 Eco-Justice Club and sponsored the robotics, science fair and speech club.
“She also chaperoned a group of students to the Michigan Youth in Government conference in Lansing. She was the director of the Green Team and championed other causes such as sustainability and recycling in celebration of Earth Day. She and her students also planted trees in the community with the Greening of Detroit organization.
“The most exciting opportunity she had was when she chaperoned a group of students for four weeks during an overseas trip to Italy. What is most rewarding as an educator is how amazing it is to see the students move forward into adulthood and mature and grow and become positive contributors to society. Teaching has given Kimberly an unmatched level of knowledge, leadership, and professionalism as well as the ability to overcome any challenge.”
Stevenson earned a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University and a master’s degree from Wayne State University. She has been an educator for 33 years, the last six in her current position.
