Each year, the Alabama Science Teachers Association selects one elementary, one middle and one high school teacher from across the state to honors with the Outstanding High School Science Teacher Award. This year, the high school recognition went to Russellville High’s Lorraine Perez.

“I was really excited,” said Perez, who found out she was the recipient in March. “It just makes me really proud.”

The statewide recognition also came with a $1,000 cash prize for Perez. She said that was particularly exciting because although she has received teaching awards before – like the National Association of Biology Teachers’ Outstanding Biology Teacher Award in 2015 – this is the first time an award has come with a monetary component. “I want to make sure I spend it on something worthy,” Perez said.

To be considered for the award, nominees had to be highly-qualified science teachers with more than five years tenure in the field, along with significant documentation from fellow faculty and administrators recommending the nominee.

“You had to have three letters of support by administrators or peers and a nominator letter,” Perez explained. “You also have to have ten people from your school sign off saying you were a good candidate.” Classroom achievement and teacher performance were also take into account.

Perez, a Russellville native, is completing her 20^th year in the classroom. She cherishes a strong passion for science “because it’s everywhere. It’s everything that makes up life,” Perez explains. She loves teaching different science disciplines because the lessons are “never the same. We have so many activities we can do. The labs we do are really interesting” – from growing bacteria to studying DNA in a forensic context.

Perez’ award was presented in Birmingham at the McWane Center at the ASTA conference. A testament to her dedication to teaching, Perez was unable to attend the presentation – because she was dedicated to helping her biology students through the AP mock exam, held the same day.