Educator of the Year Nominees

Three Stow-Munroe Falls City School District educators were nominated for awards at the 2021 Summit County Education Celebration. e Summit County Educational Service Center recognized the top educators in Northeast Ohio at the 13th annual Education Celebration on Oct. 21 at the Stow Youth Baseball Hall. is event recognized educators from Summit County and surrounding areas who are making a di erence in the lives of students across the region. e celebration was open to 18 school districts, including every district in Summit County and the a liated districts in Portage County. District administrators, award nominees and their guests were invited to attend the event, which featured an award ceremony and complimentary dinner.

During the event, the all-county All-Star Teaching Team, teacher of the year, rookie of the year and lifetime achievement award winners were announced. Nominations were submitted by parents, educators and administrators who feel a teacher deserves recognition for their dedication in the classroom, commitment to the school district and desire to go above and beyond for each child.

Among those nominated this year were three educators from Stow-Munroe Falls City School District; Ann Cottrill, Rookie of the Year nominee; Nicole Marconi, Educator of the Year nominee; and John Lacoste, Lifetime Achievement Award Nominee. e Rookie of the Year Award honors local educators with fewer than three years of teaching experience in Summit County who have positively impacted student learning. Ann Cottrill, a school counselor at Stow-Munroe Falls High School, says she was surprised and honored by her nomination for this award.

“ is nomination means that people recognize that I like to work hard for the district,” Cottrill said. “It’s nice to know that the work I do and the work I’ve put forth has been valuable, and I’m very honored to be recognized.”

Cottrill is a SMF alumna and a Kent State University graduate with a Master of Education in School Counseling and Guidance Services K-12. She is an executive board member for the high school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and she is involved with Bulldogs Taking Action, a group of sta and students that celebrates diversity.

As a school counselor, Cottrill assists students, with last names beginning with F-K, with academic, personal, social and future career needs. She is also in charge of the College Credit Plus program, which is a dual enrollment program that allows students to earn college and high school credits at the same time.

“I’m here for students rst,” Cottrill said. “One of the biggest things that I pride myself on is that students are my number one priority, and all the other stu comes a er what students need each day. e students are always the most rewarding part of this job.”

Nicole Marconi, a K-6 reading and math coach at SMFCSD and nominee for Summit County ESC’s 2021 Educator of the Year, agrees that connecting with students is the most rewarding part of working in education.

“It’s those lasting relationships that I’ve built with kiddos that means the most.” Marconi said. “Now when those kids see me out, they want to come say hi and tell me things that are going on in their lives. at means I’ve done my job, and I’ve made a meaningful connection, and to me that’s more rewarding than anything.”

Marconi is a Kent State graduate, who began her career as a student teacher at Woodland Elementary School in 1998. A er graduating with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education a year later, she returned to Woodland Elementary to teach rst grade for four years and then fourth grade for 18 years. is year, she has taken on a new role as a literacy coach for the district, which allows her to help kindergarten through 6th grade teachers meet the needs of the children in their classrooms. Marconi serves on the District Leadership Team, and during her time at Woodland Elementary, she served on the building leadership team, worked with student council and co-founded the Peers Upli ing Peers (PUPs) program.

“I’m very happy to say that I’ve spent my entire career at Stow-Munroe Falls,” Marconi said. “I take pride in being a teacher at this district, and I hope to stay here because it is a district that I am very proud to be a part of.”

Marconi has worked hard over the last 22 years to make sure her students feel safe and welcome in her classroom, and she feels that the district shares her children- rst philosophy.

“School should be more than just learning, and I wanted my kids to walk away knowing that I really cared for them,” she said. “Whenever I make decisions, I say to myself, ‘what is best for kids?’ at has always been my guiding principle. I have always felt that Stow puts the kids rst and they do everything they can to build relationships with students so that they feel

From left: Nicole Marconi, Educator of the Year nominee; John Lacoste, Lifetime Achievement Award Nominee; Ann Cottrill, Rookie of the Year nominee

connected.”

Being nominated for Educator of the Year has been such an honor for Marconi.

“I think almost all teachers go into teaching because they love kids and they enjoy working with kids, and to be recognized like this, it just solidi es that I did pick the right path and I am doing what I truly have always felt I was meant to do,” she said. “It feels really good to do what I love doing and know that people recognize my passion as well.”

John Lacoste, former Indian Trail Elementary School principal and 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award nominee, shares Marconi’s passion for educating the future generations.

“Welcoming children to school and validating who they are each day was an important piece of my approach,” Lacoste said. “I think if you can build genuine relationships with students, they are more willing to attend school and come willing to learn.”

Lacoste, who retired in June, says it has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Stow-Munroe Falls community for the last 17 years. He has since been recognized as the district’s Educational Ambassador, where he is now serving as a liaison for the district through its di erent projects.

“It was a bit overwhelming, because I never expected that kind of recognition on behalf of the Board and the superintendent,” Lacoste said. “But this role allows me to stay connected with the district while still enjoying my retirement.”

Lacoste has had a long and rewarding career in education that began in 1986 when he graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Maine. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in Special Education in 1988 and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Administration in 1997, both from the Ohio State University. Before his time at SMFCSD, he worked with Dublin, Westerville and Hilliard City Schools. e Lifetime Achievement Award honors teachers, educators and administrators who have spent their entire career in education. Lacoste says he is honored and humbled to be nominated for this award.

“ is nomination recognizes more than just me, it recognizes all of the people that I’ve had the opportunity to interact and grow with; students, parents, sta and teachers that have been a part of my journey,” he said. “I think it also recognizes all the retirees in education this year and their lifetime commitment to children. You’re never alone in this business, and I think in the end this particular nomination represents all the people who have come together to make a di erence in the lives of children, and I just happen to be one of them.”

Lacoste said the district has felt more like a family than just an organization, and he is grateful for the connections he’s made with the community.

“Working at this district is more than just a nine-to- ve job, it’s a place that you become family, you encourage others to be at their best, and I think it is a place that is inspiring,” he said. “I’ve seen people in this district support each other, go out of their way to help one another and truly be a Bulldog in the sense of what it means to celebrate success and overcome adversity.” e Summit County ESC believes it is important to recognize the outstanding educators like Cottrill, Marconi, Lacoste, and so many others in the region.

Last year’s Educational Celebration was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Patti Maloney, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent at the Summit County ESC, says the organization is very excited to have an in-person event this year.

“Summit ESC is pleased to host and coordinate the annual Education Celebration on behalf of area school districts. We receive so many deserving nominations for Teacher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and the Lifetime Achievement Award. It is our honor to be able to recognize such an outstanding group of educators at this event,” said Summit ESC Superintendent Joseph Iacano. “Teachers should be celebrated. ey truly make an impact on the lives of their students. Our nominees and award winners are a great representation of the outstanding caliber of educators in our region.”

Nicole Marconi with her students

In Memoriam Jan Mather (1941-2021)

The students and families of the Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools will forever be indebted to Jan for her overwhelming kindness, innovation of the Bulldog Bags program and her overarching vision of never seeing a Bulldog student hungry. Her legacy is sure to live on forever.