By JONATHAN WARREN
When Renee Burke heard she won, she was in shock. Superintendent Ronald Blocker read her name, but she was expecting another name to be called. Burke had just won Orange County Teacher of the Year.
“I was elated for her. She has brought a lot of recognition to Boone with the yearbook and newspaper, but this is a tremendous honor she brought to the school,” Digital Design teacher and friend Sarah Kittrell said.
Burke advises the school’s yearbook, newspaper, and news website, while teaching Journalism I using current industry technology. Her publication classes are production-based and aim at giving students real world experience.
“Yearbook with Ms. Burke has really opened my eyes to what the real world is like and prepares me for further education and real life skills. It gives me a one up on other students because the programs we use are advanced,” junior Editor-in-Chief Allison Sloan said.
Burke is currently the state director for the Journalism Education Association. Her publications have won the Gold and Silver Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and have been recognized as Pacemaker Finalists by the National Scholastic Press Association.
“I am incredibly proud of my staffs and how far they’ve come. They continually challenge themselves to beat the year before them. It’s a healthy thing because we’re always striving to do better,” Burke said.
Burke’s work ethic and her will to evolve have earned her praise from students and colleagues alike.
“She is a visionary person. She doesn’t sit back and do things the way they were done last week or last year. She’s constantly growing and learning and sharing with her students. She knows how to get students involved in learning so they want to learn. It’s an art,” Kittrell said.
Kittrell says she saw Burke’s talent when Burke first began teaching on campus in 1995, working with Boone Plus, a dropout prevention program.
“She had a real compassion for trying to get the students to want to be successful. Because she’s constantly learning herself, it makes her a better person. She’s looking for ways to grow with her students,” Kittrell said.
Burke found her passion for journalism working on her own yearbook staff in high school and being the sports editor her senior year, but her love for teaching came when she first interned at Evans High School and experienced the “Aha” moments her students had.
“I know design programs much better since I entered her class. If I ever need to design something when I leave high school, I’ll be able to because of her,” Journalism I student Olivia Quattrone, freshman, said.
Burke has a strong connection to the county having attended Orange County schools.
“There’s something really neat about representing the place that educated you,” Burke said.
Burke will represent Orange County to vie for state Teacher of the Year. She completed the state application, which she said was “intense,” to be judged. Five teachers are chosen as finalists for the state award. The finalists are notified in April or May. In the meantime, Burke will continue to teach and advise.
“She is helping students become leaders of tomorrow. They’re going to be outstanding leaders in the community because of what she has taught them,” Kittrell said.