We proudly announce that Darla Hicks is our 2023-2024 Classified Employee of the Year at Willis Jepson Middle School.
Darla is an exceptional paraeducator and a positive role model for Willis Jepson Middle School students and staff. She inspires kids to try their best inside and outside the classroom and goes above and beyond with everything she does.
Students under her care feel comfortable approaching her with any questions or concerns. She is a good listener who meets her students' academic and socialemotional needs.
Darla always looks for ways to grow professionally and collaborate with colleagues to improve Jepson. As an active leader of our PSIS team, she advances our work to acknowledge and celebrate our students' efforts. She is a valued and respected member of our Special Education Department.
This year, she took on more responsibility by becoming our crossing guard before and after school, greeting students each morning and sending them home with her broad smile and encouraging words. When asked why she took on this role, she responded that it gives her another opportunity to get to know more Jepson students.
Darla is the definition of a team player. She is kind, positive, generous, and one of the first to volunteer and lend a helping hand. She is a dedicated educator with a big heart for students most in need of support.
-- Tom McHale, Principal, Willis Jepson Middle School