CAMERON, W.Va., September 2019 — Alumna Jennifer (Schehl) Schwertfeger was named West Virginia’s “Teacher of the Year” this past week, in recognition of her excellence in teaching. A science teacher at Cameron High School, she was one of six finalists for the statewide honor before receiving the award last Wednesday night during a ceremony in Charleston. She will now represent West Virginia at the National Teacher of the Year program in the spring.
Schwertfeger is a graduate of WLU’s College of Sciences, class of 1989. Teaching was her second career.
“As a proud West Liberty alumna, I’m very thankful for my education. I earned a biology degree at West Liberty and didn’t become a teacher until the age of 40 years,” she said.
“I received an amazing education at West Liberty and I’m thankful and appreciative for the wonderful professors I had. I was very well-prepared when I graduated. One of my passions that will be part of my platform as I travel the state is to raise awareness of the need for West Virginia math and science teachers. I want to work with pre-service teachers in the field of science to promote science education,” she said.
She is committed to making sure that all students have access to quality science education and has engaged in projects to provide STEM education and career opportunities to students from rural and low-income populations. Additionally, she serves her peers as a Marshall County teacher leader, new teacher mentor and cooperating teacher for future educators. Schwertfeger believes in life-long learning and is currently pursuing her National Board Certification, the country’s top credential for teachers.
Schwertfeger is originally from the Woodsdale neighborhood of Wheeling and graduated from West Liberty University before attending West Virginia University for her master’s degree. She has taught for 11 years, the last 10 of which have been at Cameron High School. Schwertfeger was nominated as Marshall County’s Teacher of the Year twice before during her teaching career.
In addition to teaching, Schwertfeger will now spend the next year traveling the state meeting other teachers, retirees and staff during various speaking engagements. Schwertfeger also is a state finalist for the 2019 Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, an award presented for excellence in the field of science education.
The West Virginia Teacher of the Year program identifies, recognizes and promotes representatives of excellent teaching in the elementary and secondary classrooms of the state. As West Virginia’s 2020 Teacher of the Year, Schwertfeger will receive a car for use for Teacher of the Year engagements throughout the year from Toyota; $5,000 from both Highmark West Virginia and The Horace Mann Insurance Company; and a $1,000 gift card from Coca-Cola Consolidated. Schwertfeger, along with each county winner receives a $300 grant for their classrooms from the West Virginia Lottery; a classroom technology package from SMART Technologies; and a West Virginia-themed piece of art glass from Blenko Glass. Coca-Cola Consolidated also provided each county winner with a care package including a $500 gift card.
West Virginia’s teacher of the year program is one of the oldest and most consistent Teacher of the Year programs in the nation, according to West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) which made the West Virginia Teacher of the Year announcement last week.