LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Dana Nave was nominated by her friend, Sasha Johns.

Ms. Nave is a loving and fierce advocate for children with special needs in her very small rural school. She's a LifeChanger because she works in an area where, without the right advocate in place, kids with special needs could very easily fall through the cracks.

Her community has three tiny rural elementary schools that feed into a larger middle and high school. Ms. Nave's program prepares her students for bigger programs. She pays close attention to her students, not only as a whole, but as individuals when it comes to preparing them for rising to the next level. She cares for each child as though they are family, pushing each one to reach their fullest potential. At the same time, she recognizes that each child's fullest potential may look very different. 

Ms. Nave has worked tirelessly to acquire funds and grants to purchase curriculum and tools that some of her students need to progress. She is a leader who networks within her tiny group of schools to brainstorm and work through roadblocks that occasionally pop up. She helps to build a professional web of special educators who see a big, long-term picture for the community's special needs students, instead of only seeing where they are in the moment. Her vision is long-term, beyond the years that students are in her class. 

"I've had the joy of witnessing her former students see her out in public and tackle her with hugs and love. They don't forget her...Her impact in this community is so evident, and she is definitely deserving of this award," said Johns.