Freedom Federal Credit Union Selects Eight Educators as 2024 Golden Apple Award Recipients

BEL AIR, MD – At a reception at Mountain Branch in Joppa on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Freedom Federal Credit Union honored Ms. Sue Nickerson and Ms. Jen Olkowski as grand prize winners of the credit union’s 2024 Golden Apple Annual Educator Awards.

Now in its thirteenth year, the program annually presents eight educator awards of $2,000, $1,000, $500 and $500, four each to education workers in Harford County and Baltimore County who excel as teachers, school administrators or school support workers. Applications for the Golden Apple Award are evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of Freedom staff, principals and community leaders from both counties.

The two largest grants went to educators who came up with creative ways to use the outdoor spaces at their respective schools.

Ms. Sue Nickerson, a first grade teacher at Fountain Green Elementary School in Bel Air, is using her $2,000 grant to build a kinesthetic sensory trail around the school. This intentionally designed “Warrior Challenge” obstacle course is designed to promote learning by helping young students reduce stress caused by school anxiety, improve their sense of balance, refine their gross motor skills, and develop their ability to focus while learning to persevere through the challenges.

Like Ms. Nickerson, Ms. Jen Olkowski recognized the importance of making the most of the outdoors and applied for a grant to expand the walls of her classrooms. Ms. Olkowski accepted the $2,000 grant on behalf of St. Stephen School to create a Montessori/STEM style outdoor learning center for her elementary students. With opportunities for hands-on experiments and simulations for project-based learning that are not easily possible in a traditional classroom, students will have an accessible outdoor space with materials for building, constructing, designing, crafting, mimicking, and solving real-world problems.

The Freedom Golden Apple Award judges have decided to award $1,000 prizes to Ms. Savannah Yoder of Perry Hall High School in Baltimore County and Ms. Lauren Byrd of Hickory Elementary School in Harford County. Ms. Yoder is using her prize to fund calming boxes that provide an outlet for students experiencing difficult emotions, as well as additional mental health events at Perry Hall Middle and High School. Ms. Byrd is also thinking “outside the box” and investing in classroom makeover tubs filled with most of what teachers need to remodel their spaces at Hickory Elementary around different themes.

Four other recipients received $500 grants. In Baltimore County, Lisa Shipley, Career Navigator at Dundalk High School, is using her grant to expand the school's Leader Academy service projects. Meanwhile, Ms. Janet Bond, who works exclusively with deaf and hard of hearing students at White Oak School, wants to enrich her classroom and library with inclusive resources that better accommodate her students' disabilities.

In Harford County, $500 grants were awarded to Mr. Chris Hedges, elementary school teacher at Havre de Grace Elementary School, and Sara Shoemaker, Spanish teacher at Emmorton Elementary School. Mr. Hedges, who was represented at the awards ceremony by his colleague Eileen Friel, plans to create a native pollinator garden so students can learn about pollination and the importance of insects to our food. Ms. Shoemaker is the county's first Spanish immersion kindergarten teacher and is piloting a new program designed to teach Spanish to the school's youngest students. She plans to use her grant to create an immersive play experience for her students inspired by Disney's “Encanto” and Hispanic culture.

The reception was hosted and moderator Carmen David Mirabile, Senior Vice President of Growth Strategies at Freedom Federal Credit Union.

“Today we come together to recognize and celebrate eight educators who not only dream big, but turn those dreams into reality. These educators are breaking new ground with their innovative ideas and initiatives and helping to redefine what it means to teach in 2024 and beyond. I am honored on behalf of Freedom to support these initiatives and help make them a reality,” said Mirabile.

Ben Richardson, assistant superintendent for human resources at Harford County Public Schools (HCPS), delivered opening remarks to attendees.

“First and foremost, our special thanks and recognition goes out to our community partner, Freedom Federal Credit Union. The innovation and dedication of this year's honorees is truly amazing and I want to congratulate all of the 2024 Golden Apple honorees on behalf of Harford County Public Schools,” said Richardson.

Dr. Racquel Jones, Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), was also present and addressed the participants with closing remarks.

“I know we in Baltimore County – and I'm sure Harford County schools as well – are in the midst of back-to-school planning. We all have a big year ahead of us. Best wishes to all, congratulations to our Golden Apple winners this afternoon, and good luck for a bold, successful and rewarding new school year,” Jones said.

In addition to the guest speakers, Freedom was honored to bring together many special guests including the award winners, their families, school administration, HCPS Superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson, HCPS Principal of the Year Ron Wooden and HCPS Teacher of the Year Erica Richardson, as well as several members of local government.

The annual awards are designed to support Freedom Federal Credit Union members who are employed at a Harford County or Baltimore County school and have a creative vision for education that can only be realized with community support. All applicants were asked to submit an essay outlining how their idea would benefit their students, class, school or local community.

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