PSEA is a community of education professionals who make a difference in the lives of students every day.
Voice: May 2017
The Student PSEA Outstanding Servant Leader Award was debuted at this year’s Student PSEA Conference and Convention to recognize individuals who have achieved excellence throughout the year by providing leadership at the region or chapter levels.
But in addition to a 2017 recipient, the organization decided to name a 2016 recipient who went above and beyond in community service.
Bryan Edwards was presented the 2016 award for spearheading the regional Outreach to Teach project completed at Jeannette McKee Elementary and Middle School last year.
As a student at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and Student PSEA Southwestern Region president, he orchestrated an impressive showcase of servant leadership.
“Not only did we paint murals and walls, we also created a brand-new parent center and we were able to get them an entirely new playground,” Edwards said. “We also completed landscaping and painted the outside pillars and parking lot dividers.”
More than 200 volunteers from nine different college chapters transformed the school, completing 30 individual projects with the help of $30,000 in grants.
Ashley Muscarella, NEA Student Program chair and fellow University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg alumni, presented Edwards with the award at the conference.
This year’s Outstanding Servant Leader Award was presented to Alesha Molitor, Albright College Student PSEA chapter secretary. Molitor was nominated by fellow Albright College chapter member, Julianne Lowenstein.
In her nomination, Lowenstein noted Molitor’s dedication to see that the chapter at Albright has a bright future.
“She has spent the year bettering herself as a leader to try and get the chapter running and to help create the next layer of leaders,” Lowenstein said.
She also helped organize the first Eastern Region Student PSEA Legacy Project, an Outreach to Teach-style transformation at Reading High School. The project shows the impact that students can have within their regions – not just at the statewide level.
“Through taking what we are doing at a state level back to local regions and chapters, aspiring educators are perfectly embodying servant leadership,” said Marie Hutchings, Student PSEA Eastern Region vice president and Student PSEA president-elect.
