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Spring 2010:
2006 Commitment to Excellence Award Recipients
Dallas Coryell, 2006 Recipient of "Commitment to Excellence" Award
Dallas Coryell is a third grade teacher at Central. This is his 23rd year with Okemos Schools and his 34th year as an educator. Having served on a number of district committees, including those for Substance Abuse Prevention and Social Studies, he currently serves on the Wellness Committee. He developed the Okemos History Walk presently used by Central 2nd graders and began the after-school 4th and 5th grade Empires Club with 47 students enrolled this year. Among his musical compositions are the school songs for both Central and Edgewood.
Dallas received his bachelor’s degree from CMU, majoring in History and English. His graduate work was through CMU and MSU. Author of 5 family histories, Dallas writes poetry and children’s books, among others, and for nearly 20 years has been an actor and singer in local area dramas and events. Father of a daughter and 2 sons, he also has 5 grandsons.
Sheryl Hudler, 2006 "Commitment to Excellence" Award Recipient
Sheryl Hudler is a fifth grade teacher at Wardcliff Elementary School. She began her career 28 years ago as a strings teacher in Okemos and continues to teach Suzuki Violin classes and workshops throughout the country. She taught kindergarten at Bennett Woods Elementary until she became a fifth grade teacher. She has served on many committees, including the Language Arts Committee, and has presented at several Michigan Council of Teachers of English workshops.
Sheryl earned her Bachelor of Arts from Albion College and a Masters of Arts from Michigan State University. Outside the classroom, she continues to seek new knowledge and quench her passion for learning by taking classes, teaching and playing the violin, drawing, painting, sculpting, writing, and reading.
Gayle Main, 2006 "Commitment to Excellence" Award Recipient
Gayle Main teaches Life Management at Okemos High School which includes Culinary Arts, Financial Planning, Interior Design and Child Development. She has been at the high school since 1990 and has served as both Student Council and Yearbook Advisor and the Career and Technical Education Department Chair. She has served as the food editor of the Lansing City Magazine, State Representative for the National Livestock and Meat Board, Vice-President of the Michigan Home Economics Association, and author of the cookbook, Michigan--Savor Its Flavors. Honors include being chosen as a Toyota International Teacher and being recognized by the American Cancer Society for chairing the most successful Youth Relay for Life in the United States in 2002.
Gayle earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University. She is the proud mother of Sara Gillespie, guidance counselor at OHS, and Kristin Main, senior at EMU. The newest member of her family is Jeff Armstrong, whom she married this past summer.
Missy McCarthy, 2006 "Commitment to Excellence" Award Recipient
Missy McCarthy has been a math teacher at Okemos High School for the past seven years. She received a B.S. in Mathematics and a teaching certificate from Michigan State University in the spring of 2000, and completed a Masters of Arts in Curriculum in teaching in December 2003.
While at OHS, Missy has taught ninth through eleventh grade math courses at a variety of levels (adaptive, standard, and honors). She served as class advisor to the Class of 2004, has been a member of OHS School Improvement Team for 4 years, and served on the committee that helped implement Parent Connect. In addition, she served as the chairperson for OHS Student Appreciation committee.
Outside of teaching, Missy dedicates all of her time to raising and nurturing her two beautiful daughters: a kindergartener at Wardcliff Elementary School, and a rambunctious 19-month old.
Jeri Mifflin, 2006 "Commitment to Excellence" Award Recipient
Jeri Mifflin has been Principal of Bennett Woods Elementary School since fall of 1999. Prior to her appointment to this position, she served as Director of Community Education for Williamston Public Schools for 20 years, including an appointment as Interim Superintendent of Schools for that district. She also served as a high school teacher in Williamston.
Jeri has won a number of awards, including being selected as "Michigan School Administrator of the Year" by the Michigan Science Teachers Association in 2002 and receiving the "Lyle A. Thorburn Bell Ringer Award for the Advancement of Education" from Ingham Intermediate School District in 1995.
Jeri resides in Okemos with her husband, Plummer, and enjoys reading, golf, and traveling when she is not working with children.
Matt Morrison, 2006 "Commitment to Excellence" Award Recipient
Matt Morrison has taught social studies at Okemos High School for over eleven years. In addition to teaching Advanced Placement US History, he has taught economics, History of Film, 20th Century Humanities, US history, World history and French I. Matt has worked on many committees over the years, from North Central to the Building Planning Team. In his 12-year tenure as Quiz Bowl coach, the team has won a state championship and other league titles.
He has won numerous professional development awards, including two National Endowment for the Humanities seminars: one on Afro-European Colonial Literature and another on the English Industrial Revolution. Matt also spent a sabbatical year abroad on a Fulbright Teaching Exchange to the United Kingdom.
Matt earned his Bachelor of Arts in history, French, and education from M.S.U. as well as a Master's degree in Curriculum and Teaching while studying at the Centre Internationale de Valbonne in France. Matt resides with his family in Mason.