12/4/2022
Education and Outreach
It will not astonish anyone who knows Siobhan Fergiels, one of 20 teachers to receive a Heart of Education Award in April, that she will use the monetary gift from her award to help her community.
“I have realized that in my year 15 of teaching, I am ready to branch out from the classroom and seek out leadership opportunities,” explains the Cheyenne High School band teacher. “As an educator, I am only able to do so much to challenge the barriers to learning, and I am ready to make changes on a leadership level. This award money will go to the Educational Policy and Leadership degree program that I (will) begin in the coming month.”
As a nonprofit, The Smith Center created its annual Heart of Education Awards to celebrate Clark County School District (CCSD) educators who go above and beyond. The center recognizes over 700 finalists each year at a red-carpet event, and thanks to generous support from the Rogers Foundation, the top 20 teachers each receive a $5,000 cash award, a medallion and a $1,000 donation to their school.
Community members nominate teachers for the awards program each year, and nominated teachers submit applications that undergo a thorough review process.
Fergiels could probably teach the leadership program she is embarking upon, having exhibited many forms of leadership throughout her career as an educator.
Most admirably, Fergiels became a licensed foster parent, so that if a student needed a safe home, she would be able to help. With her foster-care license, Fergiels has been able to provide a safe and loving home for high-needs youth. She also fostered and later adopted a student in need of a stable home environment.
“My family has welcomed 12 children into our home over the span of five years. We were also honored to provide a forever home to one of the first teens that we fostered,” Fergiels says. “It is more than important to us, because life can be challenging. Having support, a resource, a warm bed, etc. makes a world of difference. Children deserve a chance to have a glimpse of life’s opportunities. It is important for my family to help bridge these gaps and knock down those barriers.”
She speaks these words like a true leader — one who was able to thoughtfully steer her students through the last two years.
“The pandemic was and still is scary. I knew that as an adult, the uncertainty brought out a range of emotions,” Fergiels recalls. “If this were true for me, I knew that it had to be exacerbated for my students.”
She made herself available day and night for her students and families, she adds.
“Some students were stricken by unemployment and lack of supplies, and I did my part to help find resources to combat this misfortune,” she says. “I focused my teaching on social-emotional learning, because it was not only necessary, but it was also fundamental. The lessons from the pandemic have forever shaped me, and I will continue to be a first-hand resource for my families.”
Fergiels can add the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic to those she learned at an early age, and never forgot.
“As a young student, I knew firsthand how hunger and a challenging home environment affects mental health and academics, while leading to becoming less equipped to reach full potential,” she explains. “There are numerous reasons why I wanted to become an educator, but having a teacher extend their care outside of the classroom allowed me to become the person I am today.”
It’s this commitment and dedication to helping others that contributed to Fergiels winning a Heart of Education Award.
“It feels amazing,” she reflects on this recognition. “Oftentimes you get so caught up in doing the work that needs to be done, that you don’t even expect recognition. This acknowledgment is something that I cherish deeply, and will continue to do that work to uphold its value and my commitment to serving students and the community.”
LEARN MORE
The nomination period for The Smith Center’s Heart of Education Awards runs from November through January each year. To learn more about this awards program, visit www.TheHeartofEducation.org.