Nancy Jones – Oaks Springs School/Utah State Hospital

Nancy is my mother and has been a Special Educator for 31 years. Nancy spent the first part of her career in the elementary schools and then moved to secondary followed by a position as a technical assistant in the Provo School District for 18 years.

She has dedicated her career to creating a positive and reinforcing environment for both children and her peers alike. She has been a mentor and an inspiration to many. Her kindness and firm, fair and consistent way of teaching and disciplining have made her a stand out in each situation she has faced.

For the last three years Nancy has spent her time teaching at the State Hospital with the secondary age girls. This teaching position is both rewarding and difficult at the same time. Girls transitioning in and out of the classroom at any given time in conjunction with the difficulties that each student is dealing with, being placed at the state hospital makes for a challenging teaching environment. However, Nancy makes each one of the girls feel important and that they can succeed in the classroom as well as life outside of the hospital. She has gone to great lengths to bring in opportunities for the girls to explore and be exposed to new experiences and growth. Because of the laws that are involved with student confidentiality at the hospital, Nancy is not often rewarded or acknowledged by parents or even her students. (Students are from all over the state and return to different areas when they leave the hospital.) Nancy strives to do what is best for the students and to show them how much she cares about each one of them. She has shown this same love and attitude through her 31 years of service in the educational system.

Although, Nancy is my mother and I am completely unbiased 🙂 I feel that her kind loving attitude and teaching style has and will continue to influence generations of students and educators alike.

–Brook Foess