LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Sarah Damato was nominated anonymously.

"When you think of an educator, you think of someone who is committed and brings happiness, laughter, discipline, mentorship, inclusivity, and most importantly, learning to the classroom. When I think of Sarah and what she brings to a classroom, especially her classroom? It is unmatched. Sarah Damato is a special education teacher at Springfield High School in Delaware County. The amount of effort, love, and passion she gives to her students and to the countless 1-on-1s and student TAs (teaching assistants) that help within her classroom every day is unlike anything I've seen or heard of," said the nominator.

In her first year as a teacher at her first school in Virginia Beach, VA, she was nominated for Teacher of the Year. There's never a dull moment in her classroom —from the countless field trips she's taken her class on throughout her six years of teaching at Springfield High School, to the memorable, laughable teaching moments.

"Sarah co-owns a nonprofit called SAS, which gives children with disabilities of all ages the opportunity to participate in sports just as every other child can. I would say at least half of her students have participated in this program. The smiles on the kids' faces and the effort they put into the sports they play are no different from when they're in Sarah's classroom at the high school," said the nominator.

"To me, something else that goes hand-in-hand with Sarah's teaching abilities, and something that may not be seen by other staff around the school, is the student-to-teacher relationships that she has with her countless teacher assistants," said the nominator. "When there is an opportunity for a student to fill the need to be a TA in her class, the spots are not vacant for very long."

Ms. Damato is also a lacrosse and field hockey coach at the high school and the head bocce coach for the kids in her classroom. She is defined as what a teacher should be: someone who is caring, supportive, and a hard worker. In another sense, she is a mother figure to the students in her classroom and to the TAs who look forward to coming into her class day in and day out, who seek to make a difference with her students and provide the support necessary for them to succeed in the classroom and in social settings. She shows that it doesn't matter what someone's disability is or what they look like.

Ms. Damato believes that if you want to make a difference or see change, then you need to be that difference. Do what others can't or what others are unwilling to do.  She has made tremendous changes throughout her classroom and school. Ms. Damato teaches respect for all, and her students demonstrate it in their behavior. She shows that anything is possible and that anything can be done. All you have to do is put in a little effort and show a caring attitude towards the people around you. She will continue to accomplish greatness within the walls of her classroom and school because of her attitude and the love and passion she has for her students.