LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Michelle Burkey was nominated by an anonymous student.

Miss Burkey made her nominator smile over the course of their year in seventh grade. Her classroom is such a positive environment. On a daily basis, she continues to remind her students about helping her make her classroom a safe, fun, happy, and supposotive (as she says, it's support and positive combined) environment so that everyone can enjoy class. 

Miss Burkey doesn't care what students look like, what they wear to school, or how good they are at singing.  As long as they're kind and respectful, she'll like them. She isn't a person who picks favorites; she considers each and every student as her favorite student.

Miss Burkey always smiles and has such an infectious personality. She likes to joke with her students and tell them stories about her own life. Her nominator recalled a when she told her students about almost being in a car crash! That was scary! However, she also enjoys making students laugh. Miss Burkey is one of those people who likes to speak their mind. Sometimes, students will be doing a sight reading activity and she will say something totally random. It really brings the class together to have little discussions like that.

Miss Burkey has helped many students build confidence. She is a choir director, so her students have the opportunity to audition for solos. She doesn't only encourage the auditioning student, but she encourages her class to cheer on the student through their audition. It makes it easier to audition for things when the whole class is being supportive of you. Her nominator states that they used to be a student who didn't audition for anything. Now, they audition for everything, and they'll continue to do so through the rest of their education.

Miss Burkey is so bubbly and spunky. She will do anything for her students. The day before concerts, she'll take them to the cafeteria and let them do whatever we want. Sometimes, she'll jump in and hang out with them! One time, her nominator had a zombie walking competition with some friends. They asked Miss Burkey to judge it for them, and she very willingly did. She also let some other students perform "brain tricks and brain massages" on her. She made sure everyone was included, and if there was someone being left out, she'd find a way to include the student.

"Miss Burkey has truly changed my life," said her nominator. "She is a part of why I am the confident and bubbly person I am today, because she has shaped me and my fellow classmates into such lovely and caring young adults. She reminds us on a daily basis of what great people we are and what we are capable of doing. She is very inspiring and definetly someone to look up to."

Miss Burkey has such a passion for what she does. When you see her up on stage directing at concerts, she goes crazy. She is smiling from ear to ear and really having a ball! You can definetly tell that she loves to teach and to sing! She has quite a lovely voice, as well. In class, she sometimes uses strange analogies and funny words to help students remember definitions and different notes on the scale. She is hilarious in every way and is loaded with energy. She is a true leader because she always tells students that making mistakes is okay. Miss Burkey tells them that they are all people and they are all learning, and that they shouldn't be afraid to be themsevles because they are all amazing people. Miss Burkey has changed lives and made Nagel Middle School's seventh and eighth grade choir an amazing place to be! She has, and will continue to, touch the lives of the people around her.