Blytheville School District employees were the recipients of three of the 11 honors presented Monday night at the awards reception for Arkansas State University's Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Special Education Program.
Richard Atwill, principal at Blytheville Middle School and the district's superintendent-elect, received the Outstanding Student Award for the Educational Specialist program in Educational Leadership.
Chanda Walker, assistant principal at Blytheville High School, received the Outstanding Student Award in Educational Leadership. Paul R. Jenkins, special education instructor at BMS, received the Outstanding Graduate Master's Student Award in Special Education.
The reception, in Centennial Hall at the campus' Student Union, was for the recognition of outstanding graduate students and alumni, and awards were presented for curriculum and instruction; education for gifted, talented and creative; educational leadership; special education, and theory and practice.
Atwill graduated from Portageville, Mo., High School in 1984 and completed his Bachelor of Science degree in zoology at ASU in 1988.
He also earned a Master of Science degree in education from ASU in 1993. Atwill has been accepted into Arkansas State University's Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, and will begin studies there this
fall.
His first year with the Blytheville School District was 1989 as a science instructor at then-Blytheville East Junior High School, where he remained for four years before going into private business. Atwill returned to the district for the 1997-98 school year as assistant principal at then-Blytheville West Junior High School, and a year later accepted the principal's position at Osceola Junior High School. He came back to Blytheville in 2002 as BMS principal.
With Atwill at the awards reception was his wife Amanda and their four children: Lee, a freshman at ASU and 2008 BHS graduate; Abby, a sophomore at Osceola High School; Hannah Beth, a seventh-grader at BMS; and Cody, a fifth-grader at Blytheville Intermediate School.
Walker was accompanied to the reception by her husband Curtis Walker, Jr. She is a 1995 graduate of Helena-West Helena Central High School, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from ASU in 1999. Walker completed her Master of Science in Education degree from the University of Central Arkansas in 2001, and has recently completed her Program of Study in Educational Leadership from ASU.
"I am so honored to receive this award, and I hope this honor is a demonstration of my commitment to education and that I am truly a lifelong learner," Walker stated.
She came to the district in 1999 as a special education instructor, and taught at BMS, BHS and Blytheville Charter School before being named a BHS assistant principal last fall.
Jenkins has been with the district for three years, all at BMS.
He graduated from Silver High School in Silver City, N.M., in 1976 and will complete his fourth college degree when he earns his Master of Science in Special Education degree May 9 from ASU. With Jenkins at the awards reception was his wife Vera and their friend Joy Skelton.
"I am very grateful for this honor by the department's graduate staff," said Jenkins.
Atwill was very happy for both Jenkins and Walker, and added, "These awards are further proof of their professionalism and
academic dedication."