Angie Finicle

Mrs. Finicle has truly changed my life. At the beginning of the year, she and my fellow classmates began a journey that was Ap biology. For most of us, it was our first time taking an Ap class. It was also Mrs. Finicle's first time teaching an Ap. Together we all learned to adjust to the unique Ap curriculum. Mrs. Finicil continues to spend a tremendous amount of time making sure that we are all able to learn in the best circumstances. She assigns us different assignments that we can pick from in order to best fit our learning process. If you are someone who learns best by flashcards she assigns us online flashcards. If you are someone who learns the best by writing answers down on a paper she will find you a paper that will fit the unit so you get the same experience as everyone else. Like many teachers, she spends her own time and money to make sure we get the best learning experience possible. While all those things that she does for us are incredible none of them are the reason I am nominating her. Last year I was having a pretty hard time at school. A boy in my grade had said something so despicable to me that it hung over my head every day. It stuck with me into this year. One day in Mrs. Finicle's class my classmates brought up what happened saying that I had overreacted and that he really was a nice person even though he has bullied me for almost 4 years. I felt my face get hot and I quickly excused myself from my Ap biology class. I went to the bathroom and cried until I felt like I could scrape myself up enough to go back to class. Mrs. Finicle met me in the hallway and ask me if I was okay. She told me what that boy said to me wasn't okay and it wasn't okay that my classmates didn't stand by my side. As I started to cry again she wrapped me in a hug and comforted me. She didn't have to do that. Other teachers might have just let me be or not even noticed my distress. After I talked to her that day I felt better. It reminded me that there was someone on my side. She gave me a feeling of self-worth that I hadn't had before. In my mind, Mrs. Finicle deserves every award she could get.

Olivia Schmitz