LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Shaelee Paul was nominated anonymously. 

Ms. Paul joined the Rio Community School District as an intern this year and immediately began making a positive impact on the staff and students. My students became excited about counseling classes. That's because Ms. Paul is so in tune with what kids at each grade level need to learn, and she makes it fun and engaging," said the nominator.

She can connect with students of all ages with just the right mix of humor and playfulness blended with control and high expectations. It is a true skill to relate to kids at their level and to switch it up for different age groups and personalities, and Ms. Paul is a natural.

Ms. Paul looks for opportunities every day to talk to students, learn about them, and make them feel special. If she hears commotion in other classrooms, she shows up for support whenever she is available. If the teacher indicates they'd love some help, she seamlessly joins the class to provide that support, or she pulls the struggling student(s) aside for extra help. She has even been pushing into lessons to support behaviors in real time, and she does so without being disruptive. Again, this is something she's just a natural at.

Ms. Paul notices the kids who are really struggling and comes up with different plans and support styles for each student she works with, so she's really tailoring everything to exactly what each student needs. The school is seeing huge improvements in the classroom because of it. The students love her, largely because they really feel like she loves them. They stop by her office whenever her door is open, and if she is out and about, they will linger in the halls until they see her walk by.

"Ms. Paul makes every student and staff member feel supported and seen. She is just a natural at everything she does (this is clearly her calling), but she also puts in the work to always be getting better. I hear her talk about what she is learning in her classes with such passion, and she's always 'wondering' - talking about what she wants to ask her professors, what she is curious about with kiddos, and so on. She is the very definition of a LifeChanger, and we have been so fortunate to have her work with us," said the nominator.