Amanda Woodward, our very own CTE teacher, was nominated a contender for the Excellence in Education award from Inspire Lincoln. Inspire Lincoln is an organization dedicated to supporting women’s accomplishments across different industries. At the ceremony, Ms. Woodward was named the winner of her respective award and gave a speech about her road to achievement.
Woodward says that by simply being herself and doing what she loves, she was able to qualify for the Educator award. Every day, Ms. Woodward displays her excellence through the responsibilities that she sets for herself. She always strives to be a better teacher than she was the day before by taking her attitude, her lessons, and her students’ opinions into account. Ms. Woodward is known for fostering an inclusive environment for students with diverse interests, but she was primarily recognized for her work in developing the Aviation program here at North Star, an exclusive focus program partnership established with Duncan Aviation in the fall of 2023. Additionally, Woodward contributed to the start of Unified programs in the Aviation and Skills fields and hosted Career Fairs for students looking into the trades. With her demonstrated passion and devotion to her work, Ms. Woodward inspires her students to do the same.
As a brave woman in a male dominated field, Woodward is a strong proponent of female representation in “male careers”. She proudly assumes this role, knowing that “we’re not that far from when women weren’t allowed to do things.” Women have not had the chance to be seen and perform in certain careers yet because of this late start. Nevertheless, Ms. Woodward is breaking through this barrier, showing her female students that they can chase after their true passions and disregard the limitations that society may place on them.
Because of all of the dedication that Ms. Woodward pours into her work, she noted that it was nice to hear that she was doing a good job from such an esteemed institution. Ms. Woodward believes that sometimes we can know that we’re doing great and on staying on top of everything, but just hearing it from someone else can make a big impact. She appreciates the love and support that she receives from the community, and we are proud to give it to her.
