Molly Collins, a high school physical education teacher from Pennfield High School in Calhoun County, has been selected for the most recent Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery. The award winner was nominated by a best friend from childhood who says Collins is known for teaching her students to always care for their minds and bodies.
The Excellence In Education Award was established by the Michigan Lottery in 2014 and recognizes exceptional educators from public schools throughout Michigan during the current school year.
Weekly award winners receive a commemorative plaque, a cash prize of $1,500 and a $500 grant to be used for their classroom, school, or school district. At the end of the school year, one weekly winner will be chosen as Educator of the Year, which has a cash award of $10,000.
Winners will also be featured in a news segment on Michigan Lottery media partners WXYZ TV in Detroit, FOX 47 in Lansing, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids and WNEM TV in Saginaw.
Collins says her mother was also a teacher, and she inspired her to pursue a career in education. She says she saw her mother’s impact on the kids at Houghton Lake Schools for over 30 years and wanted to follow in her footsteps.
“Teachers like Molly make us all a little better and leave lasting impacts on the lives of their students forever,” said her childhood friend.
Collins attended Hope College to earn her bachelor’s degree and then Concordia University in Chicago to complete her master’s degree studies. She has nine years as an educator in her current position at Pennfield High School.
Nominees for the weekly Excellence in Education award are evaluated on the following standards:
Excellence – Consistently working to help students and schools advance levels of academic achievement.
Dedication – Consistently going above and beyond to help students be successful.
Inspiration – Inspiring others to exceed their academic and professional expectations.
Leadership – Demonstrating clear leadership skills in their current position with their schools.
Effectiveness – Their work has had clear and positive results in advancing the education of students within their schools or school district.
Any K-12 public school educator can be nominated by going to the Michigan Lottery website and completing the nomination form with the person’s full name and explaining why they qualify to win the award.
