Hilliard and Kilpatrick named First Year Teachers of the Year

Destiny Hilliard and Anna Kilpatrick were named New and First Year Teachers at Pelahatchie Elementary School (PES) and Pelahatchie High School (PHS) consecutively. Hilliard grew up in Southaven, Mississippi where she taught kindergarten at Greenbrook Elementary last year. She relocated to Rankin County in March. This year she teaches fifth grade English Language Arts and Social Studies. She graduated from Ole Miss with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. In December, she received my master’s degree from Arkansas State University, graduating with an MSE in Reading. “I am honored to win this award. I love my students and want them to all reach their maximum potential. I could not be the teacher I am without the dedication and hard work of each of my students and the support from their guardians.” “I teach because I want to instill a love and gratitude for education in my students. I hope that they can see the importance of education and see that they can succeed in anything they do. I teach to be their biggest supporter and help them achieve their goals to be the best versions of themselves that they can be.” She said the pandemic has definitely had a significant impact on education. “Though there were obstacles faced in the beginning, it has shown us all that we can overcome anything in order to achieve our goals. We all, teachers and students alike, have a better appreciation for school,” she said. Hilliard comes from a big family with six siblings who all live in Southaven. She is engaged to Jake, and has a dog named Beau. Anna Kilpatrick was named First Year Teacher of the Year for Pelahatchie High School (PHS). She is from Brandon and graduated from Northwest Rankin High School.  She attended Mississippi State University with a degree in English, and received her teaching certification from Ole Miss.   Kilpatrick teaches eighth grade English, ACT Prep for the reading section, and Learning Strategies for seventh and eighth grade.  According to Dr. Teague Burchfield, "Ms. Anna Kilpatrick has done a phenomenal job in trying times as a first-year teacher here at Pelahatchie High School.  Her ability to create positive relationships with her students has led to tremendous outputs in a short amount of time.  We look forward to her continued growth here at Pelahatchie High School!" She said she believes she won the first-year award because of the relationships she’s built with students in the classroom and across campus. She consistently encourages them to believe in themselves and strive for their best. “It was such an honor to receive this award as I've only been teaching since August, and I'm extremely blessed to start my teaching career here at Pelahatchie.  COVID-19 has put stressors on my students, and myself at times, but my kids are tough. As far as COVID-19 goes, my kids have really come to meet the challenge; it's not easy coming to school wearing a mask all day, sitting six feet away from your friends, and reading stories for English on a computer, but they have adapted and put forth the effort in making it work. My students and I have been working together to achieve their maximum potential, even during a pandemic, and I'm extremely proud of them. I'm continuously grateful that Pelahatchie High chose me and has welcomed me, and I look forward to the future.”