The City Education Trust each year recognizes outstanding achievements of educators and students with the presentation of the Stephens Award. MSM Visual Arts Teacher Marianne Nolley, English Teacher Noel Gieringer, and Math Teacher Teresa Chudy were three of the seven high school teachers in Little Rock selected to receive a Stephens Award recognizing their outstanding and inspirational teaching. Mount St. Mary senior Katie Strickland is among the eight student recipients who have been selected to receive a $5,000 cash award to be used for college expenses. Award recipients will be honored at the Stephens Award Ceremony on Monday, April 23, at 4 p.m. in the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce AT&T Auditorium.
“I’m proud that Katie and our teachers are receiving the accolades they deserve,” said Principal Angie Collins. “These awards are a reflection of our culture here at Mount St. Mary, a culture of encouraging and preparing people to be the best they can be and then celebrating their success.”
Katie Strickland is a Finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program and is currently enrolled in six AP courses at MSM. Among her many accomplishments, she is Vice President of the Senior Class, Lead Counsel for Mock Trial, Captain of the Quiz Bowl Team and Beta Club Vice President.
Ms. Nolley teaches all art classes at Mount St. Mary, including Studio Art and AP Studio Art, Art Appreciation and Digital Design. She empowers and challenges her students and has shown them how art can play a part in community outreach with programs such as the Memory Project children’s portraiture and DrainSmart public art and awareness program. Her students have won first place in the national 2016 Lexus Eco Challenge competition, first place in the 2018 Thea Foundation Visual Arts Scholarship competition, and numerous awards annually from the Arkansas Young Artist Association.
Ms. Gieringer teaches 9th grade Honors English, 10th grade English and Women in Literature. Not only does she have a passion for literature but also for investing in her students by “saying yes” to support their learning and personal development. Ms. Gieringer serves as a youth leader for her church and as sponsor for MSM Student Council. Under her guidance and leadership, the student body raised record totals for the annual canned food drive in 2017, providing thousands of meals for hungry Arkansans.
Ms. Chudy teaches AP Statistics, ACT Test Preparation and Algebra 2 classes at Mount St. Mary. She encourages hard work and perseverance in the classroom and considers the relationships she forms with her students as important as the content she teaches. As Beta Club sponsor at Mount St. Mary, Ms. Chudy has increased the club’s membership and earned the school’s recognition as a National Beta Club School of Distinction, which promotes the ideals of academic achievement, character, service and leadership among high school students.
Congratulations to all of this year’s Stephens Award winners for this incredible achievement!