LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Jennifer Poli was nominated anonymously. 

"As long as I have known Jen, I've known about her unwavering commitment to education and helping others. She is a phenomenal person who deserves this recognition, even though she is the type of person who never expects any recognition from anyone," said the nominator.

Ms. Poli's impact on her students' lives is profound. She supports their academic endeavors and challenges them to improve, fostering a sense of capability, creativity, and kindness. As a teacher of 7th and 8th graders, she often instills belief in her students before they believe in themselves, a testament to her exceptional dedication. Ms. Poli works hard to connect her English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum to the real world.

Ms. Poli has had several newspaper articles written about activities and lessons she's created in the classroom that go beyond the school walls to help her students and others within the community. She has had articles written about her commitment to honoring veterans and about the service projects her students have completed in connection with the curriculum to honor local veterans and troops overseas. One article in the Daily Hampshire Gazette discussed her addition of a more inclusive text. She arranged a presentation by a certified nurse practitioner to speak to her students about the effects of substance use in connection to the novel Solo.

Ms. Poli has also had articles written about her students who have won state writing competitions under her guidance and encouragement. Two additional articles published student writing samples about what they were grateful for during the pandemic, concerning their graphic novel reading. Just last year, she partnered with a well-known restaurant for a two-month service project that provided students with supplemental food to bring home regularly. Ms. Poli connected the service project to themes within the novel she was teaching her students. An article about that project, which benefited hundreds of children, was written in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Her dedication to her students extends beyond the classroom. Ms. Poli has secured funding for multiple projects on DonorsChoose.org, ensuring her students have the necessary learning materials. One of her projects aimed to diversify the existing curriculum, a testament to her commitment to inclusive education. Her selflessness and dedication to her students' learning are truly commendable. Ms. Poli encourages all of her students, and that encouragement helps students succeed. On more than one occasion, her students have earned top growth scores on state assessments such as MCAS. The recurring successes result from a hard-working teacher and her commitment to her students' success.

Over the years, Ms. Poli has held leadership roles in the district in addition to her teaching responsibilities. She has been a grade-level coordinator, volunteered her time outside of school to be on hiring committees, and has mentored new staff and served as a supervising practitioner for a student teacher. Her student teacher was a former student who thanked her for being taught twice by Ms. Poli at the end of her practicum - once as a teen and then later as an adult. For 10 years, she volunteered as a Big Sister mentor to at-risk youth through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western Massachusetts. She was an excellent role model for teens who faced adversity. 

"Jen deserves this nomination and accolade," said the nominator.