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UCPS has thousands of employees who go the extra mile each and every day. To celebrate their unmatched passion and commitment to positively influencing the lives of students and their peers, we are continuing the UCPS Influencers Program. Each month, we need your help to choose employees who will be recognized for the impact they have on others.
The winners are recognized at the regular Board of Education meeting, and on the district website and social media pages.
Kristen Harvey-Kutsy, June 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Resilient is a word that perfectly encapsulates Kristen. Life has thrown her challenges, but through it all she is steadfast. She personifies grace under pressure and never allows self-doubt or anxiety to stop her from moving forward. She doesn’t allow adversity to define her and instead uses the opportunity to grow. She has a quiet strength that I envy, and others naturally gravitate toward. Kristen’s creativity sets her apart. Whether it’s coming up with something innovative to honor others or creating a climate that makes Waxhaw a better place to work, Kristen is a source of inspiration. I’ve witnessed how she transforms the ordinary into something extraordinary. She has a gift for bringing people together. She creates community by connecting with each person at the school. She celebrates the accomplishments of others, listens attentively, commiserates with people who are struggling, and encourages with humor and love. Kristen ability is genuinely selfless. She doesn’t seek recognition for her efforts. This humility, paired with her genuine warmth, makes her the glue that keeps Waxhaw Elementary thriving. Kristen is a beacon of hope and inspiration. She makes a difference every single day in the lives of teachers, students and families."
Jinjing Chen, June 2025 UCPS Influencer
"My son has had the good fortune to be in Ms. Chen's class for both third and fourth grade. Ms. Chen is absolutely dedicated to teaching her students. This is evident in how she goes above and beyond in initiating educational activities for the kids (e.g., Chinese hot pot outing, Chinese student performances and statewide Mandarin storytelling competitions). She has incredible communication skills—conventional, linguistic and digital. Her energy and affection for her students inspire them, and their academic achievements reflect this. Finally, she was the 2023-24 Participate Teacher of the Year, an award that indicates she is recognized as a leader by her peers in the teaching profession. She is the best."
Cynthia Hinson, May 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Mrs. Hinson is a true inspiration. She looks at her students’ abilities and their class assignments to help them manage the coursework and be as successful as students who do not have learning disabilities. She never counts out a student who is struggling for any reason. Instead, she works with the student to problem-solve and address the issues that keep them from being successful. She is their foremost champion—supporting not only the students’ challenges but also working with their parents and often their other teachers. She helps connect all the moving parts. Oftentimes, her students only know failure in the academic environment. Mrs. Hinson works hard to help them realize their true potential so they can begin focusing on their successes. She also helps other teachers understand the challenges her students face, so those teachers can view the student in a more supportive light, leading to true success across the academic environment. She educates not only her students, but also other teachers and parents. Thanks to her explanations and insights, I now better understand the challenges my own child faces and can more effectively support him. That understanding has also changed how I teach in my own classroom. The experiences and knowledge I gain from her, I can apply directly with my students."
Millicent Lockhart, May 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Millicent has a lot of responsibilities and never lets it show that she may be overwhelmed. She is always in a good mood, smiling and waving every time you see her. She always takes time to ask how you are doing and if she can help you do something. Even when she has many tasks she always takes time for others. It is a pleasure to be able to be around her and experience her contagious lifting spirit."
Curtis Moss, April 2025 UCPS Influencer
"On behalf of the entire staff and students at Poplin Elementary School, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude for Curtis Moss’ unwavering dedication and excellent service in maintaining and repairing our HVAC systems. Whenever we encounter heating or air conditioning issues, he is always prompt, professional and diligent in resolving them. His willingness to help and his ability to fix problems quickly have made a significant difference in ensuring the comfort and well-being of our school community. We know we can always count on him, and that reliability does not go unnoticed. Curtis’s commitment to excellence, along with his thoughtful and considerate approach to every job, has earned him the respect and admiration of all of us at Poplin Elementary. We truly appreciate the effort he puts into every task, no matter how big or small. We are so grateful to have him as part of our school's team."
Rachael Sprankle, April 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Mrs. Sprankle is not only a skilled educator, she also fosters meaningful relationships with her students to pull the best out of them. She holds her students to high standards and sets the bar high enough to promote growth without fear of failure. The connection she creates both in and out of the classroom encourages her students to want to succeed, which isn’t always easy with fifth graders. My son was previously struggling with challenges that were impacting his confidence, behavior and ability to be successful in the classroom. From the first day of school, Mrs. Sprankle has been cool, calm and collected; reassuring me that we would work together to ensure his success this school year. She immediately created a way to communicate daily about his day and reflects on it with him before it is shared with us. She has built a sense of responsibility and ownership within him, which in turn has encouraged him to want to do his best. Her positive words of affirmation are so meaningful that it truly has an impact on the decisions he makes during the school day. Her knowledge of the curriculum, classroom management skills and teaching ability is evident as soon as you step foot into her room. As both a coworker and parent of one of her students, UCPS is very lucky to have Mrs. Sprankle!"
Candace Farmer, March 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Ms. Farmer goes above and beyond to build relationships with students. She empowers our admin team by supporting their efforts. She is compassionate, caring and firm with our student body. She embodies the spirit of a professional mentor and she is hard-working. Her efforts go beyond the school building and she frequently extends her work into the local community. She brings wonderful energy to work daily and she's always considerate of everyone else. She embraces hard moments and uses it as inspirational fuel to motivate each student. She is collaborative and brings diverse approaches in meetings. She is the epitome of a good leader and she makes everyone around her better."
Kristina Montgomery, March 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Mrs. Montgomery is responsible for a CBSS classroom; a special setting that works with special needs children with a focus on communication, behavior and social skills. This classroom includes kindergarten, first and second grades all together in a single room. Every student in this room has a detailed set of specific and special needs, that are met and/or exceeded. For any parent, it is hard to entrust your child, let alone your verbally limited special needs child, to someone you don’t know, but from day one she earned both my respect and my trust. Her positivity, kindness and dedication to these kids is astounding and well deserving of recognition. In those first weeks that she had been with my daughter, we saw an immediate improvement in language and self-control. In the weeks and months that followed this submission, we have seen an explosion in communication and behavioral skills. I could not be more impressed and am so grateful to have Mrs. Montgomery in our lives."
Laura Shea, Feburary 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Laura gives her best each day to ensure top-notch customer service, preparing the best food while also taking time to speak with staff and kids when they come in. Some of the kids call her "Mama Laura." Laura enjoys her job, and it shows through the years of experience she brings. She helps me train kitchen staff and keeps me informed about what the kids want to see more of on the serving lines, as long as it fits within the guidelines. When she was out due to a medical situation, the kids and staff asked about her daily, and some even sent her cards. We are truly blessed to have her here."
Jaboa Dahl, February 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Jaboa Dahl serves as an inspiration to many. As a current chemistry teacher at Union County Early College, she is dedicated to her students and her community. A proud graduate of UCEC, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and returned to give back to her alma mater, just as her teachers once supported her. Jaboa consistently goes above and beyond, often sacrificing her planning time to tutor students, even those not in her class, to help them bridge academic gaps in college-level chemistry. Many upperclassmen have noted that her high school instruction has thoroughly prepared them for the rigors of college coursework. Additionally, she actively supports student engagement by sponsoring three clubs, providing opportunities for students to explore their interests. Her commitment to student success truly makes a difference."
Luis Barrera, January 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Mr. Barrera is the perfect example of someone who consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty. I have watched him do his job with dedication, precision and pride. And always with a smile. But I have also seen him read to kindergarten students, partner with teachers to inspire children, participate in our yearly Fun Run, and dress up for all school events, including participating in our Thanksgiving Parade as one of the “floats." Personally, he has made an effort to connect with my children, speaking to both of them daily, encouraging them with a wave and a smile and always asking about their day. He is a bright light to everyone he meets, and the world is a better place because of him."
Michael Engelhard, January 2025 UCPS Influencer
"Michael Engelhard inspires me in many ways. He has been one of the best school counselors I have ever had. He truly cares for his students and their futures. For him, it's not about the numbers and making the school look good, it’s about making sure that we have every opportunity available to succeed in whatever path we choose. Not once has he ever made me feel like he was trying to boost his career with the Health Science Academy. As students, it's very easy to tell when someone does not care as much as they say they do, but he is not one of those people. He has truly taken the time to make sure that his students, from freshman to seniors, are not forgotten in the mix of everyone else. He is also a track and cross-country coach, where he leads by example. He has also been all over the U.S. running marathons and recently competed in the Olympics. Mr. Engelhard inspires me to keep going and make every opportunity count because he still lives his life to the fullest."
Shanda Shaw, December 2024 UCPS Influencer
"Ms. Shaw inspires me because of her ability to inspire her students, adults in the school building and in her community. Her efforts and innovative ways of teaching the fifth-grade science curriculum contributed to the tremendous growth in science 2023-2024 school year at Walter Bickett. She is the fifth-grade lead teacher and serves on the school’s Leadership and Literacy Teams where her novel ideas are adopted and implemented to improve morale and academics throughout the school. She is such a positive force in this school that she brightens the day and any atmosphere she finds herself in, with her laughter and jokes. Not only is she a positive force in her place of employment, but she continues to impact her community; doing what is necessary to help the needy and the less fortunate. Shanda has continued to influence me by encouraging me to adopt many of her teaching methods, such as the STEM approach. This approach helps her students become more responsible and accountable as they develop into holistic learners. I cannot think of any other person at this time who is more deserving of this award than Ms. Shanda Shaw. Hence, I hastened to nominate her as a Union County Public School’s Influencer."
Alphonza “AJ” Olden, December 2024 UCPS Influencer
"AJ is a consummate professional. There is not one student at South Providence he does not know in some capacity. I'm constantly in awe of the amount he does for kids within our school environment and out in the community. He has immense compassion for the students and staff in our building. AJ is a point of light for us all."
Richard Webb, November 2024 UCPS Influencer
"Mr. Webb is such an inspirational person. My son was lost when he first started high school. He was getting into trouble and really did not know what he wanted to do. That is, until he took his first automotive class with Mr. Webb. My son connected so well with Mr. Webb. He suddenly had a vision for his future and started to take high school a little more seriously. Through Mr. Webb's patience, understanding and willingness to go above and beyond, he helped my son overcome his shyness and inability to speak up and talk to others. My son gained immeasurable experience through Mr. Webb, whether it was through his CTE classes, SkillsUSA club and competitions, or just being there for him and helping him through tough lessons. My son graduated last year and is now attending Universal Technical Institute, studying auto mechanics. Mr. Webb even helped my son get a job at Advanced Auto. My son still keeps in touch with him, and Mr. Webb is STILL teaching him. Mr. Webb is a passionate teacher, and I hope more students find the value of being a student in his class."
Sierra Burtis, November 2024 UCPS Influencer
"Sierra is an inspiration to all who have the pleasure of working with her! Not only is she a resilient problem solver, effective communicator and skilled collaborator, she is kind to everyone with whom she interacts. She supports the College Readiness team with grace and never loses her cool, even when faced with stressful situations. She is the go-to for many in Central Services and often fields questions completely unrelated to our department, simply because everyone knows that she will be friendly and helpful and that she probably knows the answer! As her supervisor, I am grateful for how she anticipates the needs of everyone in our department. She takes the initiative to create solutions and think of new ways to accomplish tasks more efficiently. Our department would not be nearly as effective without Sierra."
Jessica Miller, October 2024 UCPS Influencer
Ms. Miller’s dedication to student achievement is shown through her tutoring of multi-tiered system support students, inventive lesson plans and mentoring new teachers. Her impact extends beyond the classroom, cultivating a supportive and motivating atmosphere for students and colleagues, including myself. As a new teacher at Parkwood, Ms. Miller has dedicated numerous hours outside of school helping with Canvas, lesson planning and supporting her colleagues. In addition to excelling in teaching, Ms. Miller demonstrates a true love for administration and a commitment to student growth. Her hard work has not only enhanced the learning experience but has also greatly contributed to the overall success of her students. I firmly believe that Ms. Miller's exceptional contributions merit formal acknowledgment, and I sought to ensure that her dedication and efforts receive the highest level of recognition. Her endeavors have had a lasting positive influence on our students and the wider school community."
Karen Baucom, October 2024 UCPS Influencer
"Karen inspires all who meet her because of her positive attitude, dedication to her school and work ethic. She is our data manager but she wears many hats and wears them well. She is committed to her position but she is so willing to help others and the school whenever there is a need. She is our contact person for transportation questions and concerns, the yearbook coordinator and serves on the emergency care team. I am truly not sure how our school could manage without her. She has the sweetest disposition and can make you feel that no matter how bad the situation is, things will be okay. Her smile brightens everyone’s day. Your day will change for the positive if you are lucky to meet her. Everyone’s school needs a Karen, but please leave her here because we love her!"
