CALHOUN COUNTY, S.C. — "If I'm being real honest, I feel like I want to be an entrepreneur because of Ms. Gressette," says Nyazia, a student at Calhoun County High School.
"She helped us get us ready for on-job worksite like how to talk to people, communication skills, and stuff like that," says Amerr, a student at Calhoun County High School.
Both Nyazia and Amerr are two of the dozens of students that Ms. Dawn Gressette taught in her 30-year career as an educator.
"She really prepares you for the real world," says Michaela, one of Ms. Gressette's students. "She is very motivating and sweet. I love Ms. Gressette and I really think she deserves the award that she got."
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"I'm proud of her. She's not one that will put herself out there. So for her to get recognized is awesome," says Krystal Zeigler, who works alongside Ms. Gressette.
Born and raised in Columbia, Ms. Gressette has been commuting to Calhoun County High School to teach marketing for the past 24 years.
"Because she is a marketing teacher, she's using what's going on in the world around them to get them interested in it. She loves what she does, and she loves working with the kids here. So here or outside of here, they're always first with her," says Zeigler.
And her students know how important they are to her.
"She put in a lot of work for her kids. She loves her kids. She'll do anything for us," says Nyazia.
"Even though some days we might get under her skin, she still loves us," says Amerr.
On top of marketing and entrepreneurship, you can also find Ms. Gressette teaching advertising and management.
She's also the lead advisor for DECA, an international association of marketing students.
"That's my favorite teacher. She's very laid back, she doesn't bother anybody. She is very funny. Not much I can say about her because I love her, and she doesn't ask for too much. I love Ms. Gressette. I feel that she deserved what she deserved," says Phorever, a student at Calhoun County High School.
"We're happy for Ms. Gressette. She needed that. Not going to lie, she needed it," says Nyazia.
Nyazia is taking all of Ms. Gressette's courses. She's up for several scholarships because of these classes.
"She might yell at us because we might get on her nerves, but she already knows that we love her," says Nyazia.
If you know a teacher like Ms. Gressette, who deserves to be recognized for their hard work in the classroom, you can nominate them by emailing us at TOW@wltx.com. Tell us what that educator does every day to go above and beyond in the classroom.
