LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Amy Marshall's nominator would like to remain anonymous.

Mrs. Marshall is the best media specialist ever! She’s dependable, creative, knowledgeable, and always willing to go above and beyond to make sure that students and staff have the resources needed to be successful at school and virtually. Her job title, media specialist, has evolved from several other titles, but it is inclusive of multiple layers of responsibilities. She's a librarian, resource provider, technology expert, troubleshooter, equipment manager, and so much more. She has always been a hard-worker and transferred her classroom teacher skills into the media hub. However, since the school closure in March, she has cranked into overdrive with her willingness and response time to so many instructional and technological challenges. 

At the start of the pandemic, Mrs. Marshall went above and beyond to ensure students had access to the necessary materials to maintain a high level of instructional fidelity. She frequently performed read-a-louds of favorable books for students that she recorded and made available online. She kept the library open so students would continue to have access to reading materials while coming to their familiar second-home after being forced out unexpectedly. Mrs. Marshall managed to get student devices into the hands of the early childhood population of the school, who typically wouldn’t be eligible to take them home. She was available, answered questions, and inventoried the media center, all with a smile.

"To be honest, there are many hats that the media specialist wears that most aren’t aware of. We just know that there are several needs that require response, and somehow, they get done," said her nominator. "Amy works behind the scenes to meet a lot of these needs in a timely fashion. Since students and teachers have returned to campus this fall, there have been many measures put in place that we all have had to adjust to. Related arts teachers specifically rotate to each classroom instead of having students report to their designated area. As a result, the grade level teachers are ushered out of their rooms until the related arts period is over. Amy has opened up the media center as a place of comfort for teachers to enjoy treats, a cup of coffee, conversation, or planning time with their team. We are so thankful for Amy for giving her time and many talents."