My main focus as a teacher is to send a message to my students as well as my colleagues that hard work is necessary to accomplish your dreams. What better way to validate this point than by being presented with this Presidential Award--the highest honor, in my opinion, that a teacher could obtain? This PAEMST award is the "icing" on my career and a dream come true. Never could I have imagined that the sleepless nights of developing lessons for my classes would be recognized at this level.

Anna Cole Raceland, LA | 7-12, Science, 2011

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Anna Cole has been an educator in the Lafourche Parish School District for the past 22 years, teaching Chemistry I, Chemistry II, and Chemistry II Lab at Central Lafourche High School. She has also been awarded the opportunity to offer college credit to her chemistry students through Nicholls State University. Anna serves as an Instructional Coach, assisting new and inexperienced teachers in the development of lessons and activities. She served on the Lafourche Parish Curriculum Writing Team and the Assessment Team. Her most recent endeavor was establishing a Robotics Team which competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition in March, 2011. Her team advanced to the semifinals and received the Rookie Inspiration award. Anna has received numerous recognitions, such as Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year, Lafourche Parish High School Teacher of the Year, the American Chemical Society's George Drake award, and the American Legion Educator of the Year, as well as a seven-year recipient of the Nicholls State University's Making a Difference. Anna has a B.S., magna cum laude, in education from Nicholls State University and is currently pursuing a Master's of Interdisciplinary Sciences through Mississippi State University. She is a certified teacher in secondary education in chemistry and biology.

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