Engineering a Difference in the Lives of Students –
2023 HCCF Teacher Excellence Award Recipient, David Allen

Within the walls of the New Castle Career Center, students from all over Henry County come to shape their futures.

In the engineering program, they are guided by the steady hand of David Allen, an engineering teacher with a passion for sparking “AHA!” moments. For Mr. Allen, teaching isn’t just a job; it is an opportunity to ignite curious minds and watch them transform.

For over 20 years, Mr. Allen had worn many hats – construction, enterprise, manufacturing, and even transportation and communication. Having spent 30 years before his teaching career working in the industry, Mr. Allen has a lot of experience and knowledge to offer his career center students.

When nominations opened for the Henry County Community Foundation’s Teacher Excellence Award, three of Mr. Allen’s students, Luke Joplin, Kenyan Troxel, and Ethan Werking, jumped at the chance to recognize him for his efforts in the classroom.

Ethan described a story of Mr. Allen’s commitment and sacrifice to ensure the strength of the engineering program, “Since day one on the job, Mr. Allen has tried endlessly to find funding opportunities. Anywhere from Duke Energy cards to creating products on C.A.D. and fabricating them to sell as a class at the New Castle Christmas street festivals.

Around Christmas time, we held a fundraiser for our class. We sold decorations at the New Castle Christmas walk. I found Mr. Allen there selling items for our class in 20-degree weather by himself. I had to leave early, and he still sat out there for another two hours in the bitter cold for his students. He does so much for us that goes unnoticed, and it’s hard not to just appreciate the opportunity of being in his class.”

For Mr. Allen, the award isn’t just a special honor; it is confirmation that he is doing the work he set out to do. He expressed, “It verifies that I’m doing a good job. I sometimes see kids who have graduated, and they’re doing what they learned in my class and using the lessons I’ve taught them. When you get an award for something like that, it shows how much of a difference you’re making.”

Mackenzie Jackson, the Career Center’s Director, beamed with pride. “This award,” she affirmed, “is great for Mr. Allen and the Career Center as a whole. It validates how wonderful the program is and what an excellent job the teacher is doing. For students from three different schools in different class sessions to nominate Mr. Allen it shows that this program is the right fit for some students. And that’s great to see!”

The Teacher Excellence Award isn’t just about one teacher; it is about the quiet heroes who walk among us, shaping the future with every lesson and every “AHA” moment. It is a testament to the power of a teacher to spark inspiration in the lives of their students.

 

Each year, the Community Foundation gives one great teacher in Henry County the Teacher Excellence Award. This award is designed to elevate teachers who are encouraging students to achieve their goals.

Anonymous donors started the fund for the Teacher Excellence Award in the early 2000s. Inspired by the generosity of Danny and Patty Danielson, these donors wanted to do something positive for the community, too.

When deciding what their fund would be, they saw lots of scholarships being awarded to students and wanted teachers to receive something as well. Having teachers close to them, they saw how much teachers do without reward or recognition, and they wanted to give back to them.

Because of their wish to uplift teachers, they want none of the spotlight for themselves and choose to continue with their anonymity. They expressed, “The big thing is for the teacher to have the recognition and the reward. They work hard and get very little pay. It’s a tough job. They deserve a reward to use in any way they feel they need to, as well as recognition, because they don’t get enough of that.”

The first award went out to Debra Hicks in 2006. Since then, eighteen other outstanding teachers have received this honor. These exceptional educators include Judy Hubbard, Stephanie DeLoughery, Rick Penn, April Isaacs, Tracy Young, Art Edinger, Carissa Brammer, Nancy Wadman, Cheri Estelle, Shanna Smucker, Lou Nell Richardson, Angela Miller, Emily Whaley, Angie Talbott, Michelle Fries, Matthew Hurst, David Allen, and Kelly Harvey.

The ideal candidate for this award is inspiring, creative, committed, enduring, and encouraging. While that describes many of our local teachers, consider nominating someone you know who is making a difference in the lives of local students.

Any current full-time teacher in a Henry County public school can be nominated for the award. Parents, students, peers, community citizens, or anyone who has had a direct experience with the teacher can make the nomination. To complete the nomination form, please visit the grants tab on the HCCF website – www.henrycounytcf.org. Nominations are due by March 21, 2025.

For questions or additional assistance, please contact the office at 765.529.223 or info@henrycountycf.org.