I have known Cora Rankins for the last 3 years here at Socrum Elementary, during these last 3 years, Cora has worn many hats. She was the ESE inclusion teacher on my second-grade team, the following year she looped with the students and went to 3rd grade to complete that role and this year, she is serving on second grade again. Cora does many after school activities that only help to further enrich the lives of the students she serves, but also the lives of the other students at this school. She has served on the SAC committee since she arrived here and is the SAC President, she helped Mrs. Villiers bring the Archery Club to our school by writing letters to the City of Lakeland Government officials. She is the owner and operator of a 501 3C which is named the Reverend Dr. MLK Commission of Lakeland that hosts Oratorical contests, Parades for the City and Black History programs as well as teaching and providing guidance on social justice issues. She was nominated twice for teacher of the year at Jesse Keen elementary. She has served as the LEA here at Socrum in the past, while also working with her inclusion students. She is currently the PEA (Teacher's Union Rep) rep here with me at Socrum. She recently won a grant from The Polk Education Association Retired (PEAR) (Retired Polk Teachers Union) to purchase the See and Read program to further help her struggling ESE students learn how to read proficiently and on their own reading level. She mans the gate at our school during dismissal everyday ensuring that all of our students are safe from harm as they await their busses. She also steps in with a smile on her face and a "yes mam, I will" whenever she is asked to do anything else that she isn't normally responsible for. She greets all of our students with a smile and a hug and makes them feel appreciated and loved. She pushes them to be the best that they can be, while still guiding lightly from the side. She regularly converses and texts her students' parents through her personal cell phone and always looks at every situation to see how we can make it better for the students or the staff. Not only is she a friend to the students, but she is also a friend to the staff here at Socrum. She truly listens and cares about the people she interacts with. It is a genuine kind of caring, not the superficial kind of caring, where you only care about someone when they can give you something. Cora truly is a Life Changer, and she deserves all the awards and accolades that come with it.