LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile
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Reena Fish
Position: Project Life Replication Coordinator
School: Butler Tech
School District: Butler Tech
City, State: Fairfield Township, OH
Music that Describes Reena
Reena Fish was nominated by her friend, Deborah Stroud.
"When I think of a LifeChanger, I think of Reena Fish. I have had the privilege of knowing Reena for over 20 years. Reena is innovative and student-centered. When your think of Reena, you think 'transition.' Reena is a tireless advocate for quality transition services for youth and adults with disabilities. It is Reena’s mission to ensure that students meet their dreams and live the lives that they were meant to live. Reena is a LifeChanger for students and their families. What these individuals did not even think was possible, is now possible due to the work of Reena Fish," explains Stroud.
Who is Ms. Fish? Ms. Fish grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern, KY. Her parents continuously modeled caring for others, whether it was elderly relatives or a neighbor. She learned at an early age that helping others live their best life is important.
Knowing Ms. Fish's background, it's easy to see why she chose the field of special education as her career. What few people realize, however, is that even before her career in special education started 30 years ago, she supported adults with disabilities as a live-in residential support specialist. These individuals had spent most of their lives in an institutional setting, but were now transitioning to various Cincinnati communities, where they would begin new lives. During this time, Ms. Fish was a single mother finishing her degree in special education and beginning her career as a special education teacher. To say that the stories she heard from her institutionally emancipated friends played a factor in how she chose to educate and empower her future students and colleagues would be an understatement. Seeing the gifts and talents in each of these individuals but knowing that society had not found them worthy of being a member of their own communities had a profound impact on her.
"I have known Reena for 20+ years in various professional roles, but also as a dear friend. We often collaborate on how to implement transition-to-adulthood best practice activities and strategies for our students. We served in professional organizations and were members of several state-level committees for the Office of Exceptional Children, a division of the Ohio Department of Education," said Stroud. "Reena was also instrumental in using the transition standards developed by the Council for Exceptional Students to implement and teach Transition-to-Work Endorsement graduate courses for Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. During her time at Xavier, Reena was instrumental in teaching numerous professionals from the Southwest Ohio area to provide state-of-the-art transition services for their school districts."
Ms. Fish continues to be a mentor and friend to many of her past Xavier students. She's someone who they'll seek out for solutions and support for their students.
During her 30 years in the field of special education, Ms. Fish has held a variety of positions. These opportunities have provided her with a knowledge and skill set that showcase her great leadership qualities. However, it's her passion for making sure everyone see "differently-abled" individuals as people deserving of dignity and productive, satisfying lives that makes her the leader in the field of special education that she is today. She will always remind educators, employers, parents, and even the students that having success comes when expectations remain high. We will never know what we can do until we are willing to reach for it.
Throughout her career, Ms. Fish has worked in several capacities that include:
- Special Education Teacher
- Transition/Work Study Coordinator
- Job Coach
- Ohio Department of Education consultant
- Project SEARCH Coordinator
- Adjunct Faculty at Xavier University (Transition-to-Work Endorsement program)
- Special Education Administrator (www.butlertech.org)
- Grant Writer
- Project LIFE National Replication Coordinator (www.btprojectlife.org)
In her current role as the Project LIFE National Replication Coordinator, Ms. Fish is now touching the lives of educators, community members, parents, and students nationwide. Using her knowledge and passion as a catalyst, Ms. Fish is supporting Project LIFE replication teams within 10 schools in Ohio, 22 more throughout the United States, and one in Winnipeg, Canada.
Developed by Butler Tech special educators, administrators, parent mentors, and other disability-focused personnel, Project LIFE is a research-based transition-to-adulthood program for students with disabilities seeking future employment in their community and more independent lives. Ms. Fish was given the unique opportunity in 2018 to be the Project LIFE Replication Coordinator. Today, she has provided training and ongoing consultative support to more than 30 teams of educators who each have the capacity to support up to 24 students per year. When combined with the hundreds of students she has provided direct support to over the years, her life-changing reach has been long.
"In conclusion, I believe Reena is very deserving of being a LifeChanger of the Year. Reena meets all of the criteria for this award. She is a proven leader in her district, region, and state, with a record of excellent performance at the professional level. She has always demonstrated the ability to make a beneficial difference in the lives of students, and this is always at the forefront of every professional decision she makes. Reena seeks to create a positive school atmosphere, as I know her colleagues, students and families would attest. She is committed to producing a nurturing atmosphere, whether it be with her own special education students and parents, graduate students, or the educational teams she supports. She is always available for questions and to provide resources or encouragement to others, and she'll always hold everyone to the highest of moral and ethical standards," said Stroud.
For more information about Butler Tech or Project LIFE, you can visit the following websites. Ms. Fish also maintains the Project LIFE website, Twitter and LinkedIn sites for the program.