The Presidential Award symbolizes the highest level of accomplishment in my educational career and my true dedication to the teaching of science. The opportunity that I have as a teacher to extend science education beyond the walls of the classroom and into every facet of the students' lives and increase their love of science truly excites me. Thankful for teachers who sparked my passion for science, I am humbled to have the opportunity to model and extend that love of science to young children.  

Gabrielle Rhodes Buckhannon, WV | K-6, Science, 2012

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

Gabrielle Rhodes has been an educator for 13 years. For the majority of those years, she taught at Union Elementary School. She has transitioned from second grade teacher to the Elementary Gifted Teacher in her school district. Gabrielle’s love of teaching has extended beyond the classroom and into many leadership roles, including mentoring others; serving as a state technology facilitator; and presenting at the local, state, and national levels. Her love of science led her to write and receive numerous grants that have expanded science teaching in her classroom. One of the highlights of Gabrielle’s educational experiences was having the opportunity to live and work in Australia for a summer. She spent time at the Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, where she promoted environmental awareness about ecosystems, studied alternative energy, and worked on reforestation. Gabrielle has served on West Virginia's Classroom Assessment Network Team, as part of the Teacher Leadership Institute, as an Infusing Technology Facilitator, and as an Educational Evaluator for the Praxis Series. Gabrielle has a B.A. in elementary education and specific learning disabilities from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a Multi-categorical Special Education degree from Fairmont State University.  She is currently working on an M.A. in gifted education from West Virginia University.

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