Terri Pfister and Marie Baker Selected 2023 Highland Pride Award Recipients
The Highland Local School District is pleased to announce that Terri Pfister and Marie Baker have been selected as the recipients of the 2023 Highland Pride Awards. They will be recognized at the Highland Board of Education meeting on Monday, May 22, 2023, at 6 p.m., in the Highland High School Media Center, with a reception to follow immediately after the meeting.
Pfister and Baker were chosen by an ad hoc committee of The Highland Local School District staff and community members who were tasked with evaluating community-submitted nominations and identifying extraordinary individuals whose work within and for the district exemplifies a true spirit of Highland Pride.
“I am so incredibly grateful for the contributions of both Terri and Marie and the positive impact they have had across our school district and the entire Highland community. Through their countless hours of volunteer work, service, and commitment to our students and district, they are true examples of Highland Pride, and this recognition is well-deserved,” stated Catherine Aukerman, Superintendent.
Terri Pfister
Over the past forty years, Highland Alumnae Terri Pfister has dedicated her time and philanthropic efforts to the Highland community. She serves as a Trustee of The Highland Foundation, has participated in many years of service to the Highland Athletic Boosters, served on the Facilities Advisory Committee during the planning stages of the rebuilding of the elementary school buildings, and is Chairperson of the Alumni Committee. She has chaired many fundraising events, including the Highland Foundation’s upcoming Hornet Dash. She has been instrumental in instituting numerous projects through her time in the P.T.O., such as the Parent-Teacher Conference staff appreciation dinners and bringing Kelli’s C.R.U.S.A.D.E. programming to students.
Terri’s nominator explained that there are volunteers that come along who participate at one event or who serve while their children are in school. Terri has dedicated decades of her time to Highland because she is “genetically wired to care and be involved at any level to help the educational journey of our children.” They continued, “Terri has always put Highland and her community first in her heart.”
Marie Baker
Marie Baker is a Preschool Aide at Granger Elementary School, assisting students enrolled in the Little Hornets Preschool. Consistently, she is described as encouraging, empowering, and motivating to all who benefit from her service in the community. Beyond her employment at Highland, she is the Director and Head Coach of the Piranhas swim team, where she has taught and mentored swimmers throughout the community between the ages of 5 and 18. She volunteers countless hours for the Highland Athletic Boosters and behind-the-scenes for school theater productions. She is known for assisting and supporting students with special needs in many capacities.
“Sometimes it seems that everyone knows, loves, and has worked with her in some capacity,” stated her nominator. “Marie Baker is a light in our community, and her pride in the community is evident in her involvement, encouragement, and empowerment of students to always improve.”
The Highland Local School District congratulates these two outstanding individuals and thanks them for their continued dedication and exemplary service to the district's students, staff, and families!