Louisiana Teacher Wins Huge Prize for Herself and Students

"Show me the money!" is an iconic phrase from the 1996 movie, "Jerry Macguire", and that is the phrase that one Louisiana teacher is able to shout while rejoicing after she won a huge prize from Harbor Freight Tools.

Teacher Jodie Melancon went through three rounds of interviews in order to win a prize through the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence.

The owner of the company, Eric Smidt, started the prize competition in 2017 to help teachers across the country who teach in the skilled trades, so that's in things like the following:

Advanced manufacturing

Agricultural mechanics

Automotive Repair

Carpentry

Construction

Industrial Technology

Here is one of the sentences that she wrote in her application and I truly believe this is one of the reasons this agricultural mechanics teacher from Moreauville, Louisiana won one of the 25 prizes given across the nation. Here is part of what she wrote,

I believe students have an unlimited potential to learn when they are placed in a nurturing learning environment where they feel safe, valued, and wanted.

She teaches at Avoyvelle High School, and the school will benefit from $35,000 which she will be able to use on her school's program which she says she will use to help the program grow.

This lady gave the coolest acceptance that I have ever seen. When she jumps up, I'm so excited for her, her students, and the entire program that she continues to work to build and strengthen.

Melancon was one of 25 teachers across the nation to win an award this year.

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