LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Laurie Wheeler was nominated by her colleague, Sarah Milosh.

Ms. Wheeler taught science for 19 years and has been a counselor for the last 12 years. She epitomizes what it means to be a LifeChanger. Among the many things she is involved with, she is the counselor for the dyslexia program. Ms. Wheeler helped develop and create the current dyslexia reading classes. She spends hours analyzing data to properly place dozens of students so they can achieve their highest potential. Additionally, she organizes, attends, and facilitates every 594 meeting for a campus of nearly 1900 students. In 2019, she applied for and was hired as the AVID counselor. She handled this role while also handling her duties as testing coordinator. Ms. Wheeler can often be found testing for ACT on the weekend at her campus as a side job. She has directly worked to build a college-positive environment on campus while helping those with challenges advance in their career fields.

Ms. Wheeler is one of those counselors who you can call day or night, and she will jump right in. She always prioritizes what's best for students. She always responds within minutes, no matter what time of day, night, or weekend. Last year, Ms. Wheeler not only handled all her duties, but she served as her husband's care taker while he battled pancreatic cancer. 

Every program she is involved with, including SAT, Dual Credit, AVID, 504 and testing, gives her the opportunity to elevate and support students. Her whole drive is focused on helping students achieve in ways they weren't always sure they could. 

"Laurie is one of the most dedicated and hardworking employees at Azle High School," said Milosh. "She will be greatly missed!"