Beating the Odds

The Golden Apple Award winners excelled in a difficult year

By Bre Offenberger

Every teacher deserves a pat on the back for the punches they readily rolled with this year, but 14 Golden Apple Award recipients especially shone during one of the most devastating and taxing times in modern history.

Students and parents recognized that, too. The Upper Arlington Civic Association, in its 40th year giving out the awards, received an influx of letters during its nomination process, which runs from January to February.

Jennifer Knueven, director of the UACA’s Golden Apple Awards, says she collected and read 486 letters. There were so many, and they were all so long, that they didn’t even fit in her Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

“They were full-blown letters, stating how teachers helped their child,” Knueven says. “We have students who were depressed. They wrote in and said how this teacher listened to them and helped them.”

Since the recipients are chosen solely based off nominations, Knueven was determined to read all of the letters, she says. Since UACA expanded its awards from recognizing three teachers to 13 across all of Upper Arlington’s schools, the process became slightly easier as more of the nominees could be recognized.

Though it’s a time-consuming affair, it’s worth it to see the end product, Knueven says. To her, the inundation of letters proved how much faculty deserve these awards more than ever – which is why UACA added a 14th recipient to its list this year.

While figuring out who should receive the District Award, which eventually went to Director of Nutritional Services Irene Hunt, the UACA decided to introduce the one-time-only Spe-

The winners of the 2021 Golden Apple Awards are Kristin Bugnitz, Sarah Oberlin, Jennifer Barrow, Cristina Farbizo, Dr. Kathy Moore, Irene Hunt, Gina Rancitelli, Sarah Cappel, Caren Wildman, Darrion House, Brenda Porter, Luna Alsharaiha, Michelle Marshall and Matt Brown.

cial COVID Award. Knueven and UACA members looked first at online learning before scouring the faculty who sought to safeguard students. Letters had been pouring in for COVID-19 Nurse Coordinator Gina Rancitelli, who eventually took the award home. “She had a lot of people write in saying, ‘This is an impossible job, and she did a fantastic job and worked seven days a week, 12 hours a day and took it all in stride,’” Knueven says. This new category wasn’t the only difference. As Knueven read letter after letter, she found there was more of one key element than in years prior: passion. “Faculty members (were) saying, ‘These teachers are working around the clock to make the school safer and helping children,’” Knueven says. “I think before, you just had, ‘Oh, I think this teacher is great,’ where, this year, it’s like, ‘Here’s how. Here’s why.’ People even sent in videos. People were very passionate about it this year.” Bre Offenberger is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.