THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024 PAGE 5 2024 Nominees in Cultural Arts WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT
Jessie Lovett Allen
Peggy Fox
learning opportunities and expanding her knowledge. She has been an English instructor for over 15 years and shares her passion for podcasts and literature in the classroom, providing her students with different experiences that enrich their worldview,” nominator Sky Seery said. Jessie’s literary work has appeared in publications such as the Los Angeles Review in 2023, the NCTE English Journal in 2020 and The Forge in 2021, where her work “What Will Happen to the Fat Girl” was selected for Best Small Fictions 2022. Nominator Chantel Burch said Jessie’s “First Day at the Community College” brought her to tears when she read it. “She conveys all of the feelings of worry and helplessness a nontraditional student feels on their first day and the impact that kindness can create,” Burch said. “Jessie takes great care to understand her students and the stage of life they might be in. I can speak firsthand about the investment she makes into people. Whether it be inviting a new faculty member who is new to the area out to lunch, or helping a down on her luck single mom go back to college, Jessie wants to see them thrive.” In April 2019 she published her academic piece “Teaching with Narrative Nonfiction Podcasts” in the Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia. “Dr. Jessie Lovett is an outstanding educator, a talented published writer and an incredibly kind person,” nominator Chantel Burch said. “I have had the pleasure of being a mentee, co-worker and friend of this amazing woman. Jessie has made invaluable contributions in her field as an educator, writer and a resource to all. Above all else, Jessie truly believes in people, cultivates their strengths and makes the world a better place.”
Nominator: Paulette Stefka Peggy Fox has dedicated thousands of hours to the Miss Nebraska Scholarship Program, where she serves as an ambassador for North Platte and an exceptional example of work ethic to young women from across the state of Nebraska, said nominator Paulette Stefka. Paulette and Peggy became acquainted in the 1980s on the Miss Nebraska Board of Directors. “She never stepped back from any task given to her and often took on the jobs that were the most difficult and time-consuming,” Paulette said. In 2020, the program was not able to go forward due to COVID-19. A reboot was to take place in 2021, but one month before it was scheduled, the director resigned. Peggy stepped forward and took on the responsibilities of putting together the weeklong event “and did it seamlessly.” She travels the entire state attending preliminaries, talking to local program directors and encouraging young women to seek the dollars offered to them by these scholarship programs. A second passion of Peggy’s is the North Platte Community Playhouse, which has benefited greatly through her involvement. She has served in many capacities, from actress to stagehand, to director to board member. In many productions she is the unseen person moving the props for the next scene. “This is Peggy in a microcosm, never needing to be seen or thanked for her hard work but necessary for the cause,” Paulette said. “The jobs she has volunteered to take on for the benefit of the Community Playhouse are hour- and labor- intensive.” Her resume includes many other volunteer and cultural organizations. “Our community, schools, churches and the entire state have benefited from having Peggy involved,” Stefka wrote.
Nominators: Chantel Burch, Skye Seery and Holly Andrews
Jessie Lovett Allen is an English professor at North Platte Community College since 2007 and a published writer in both academic and creative publications. She created and manages The Yard Rake, a student- and faculty-led publication of NPCC that allows students to share their creative works. Additionally, Jessie is part of the NPCC Faculty Association and works to raise funds for student scholarships. Originally from western New York, Jessie earned her bachelor’s degree in theater arts at Nazareth University, master’s in English at DePaul University and doctorate in literacy education from the University of Wyoming. Since her start at NPCC, Jessie has created innovative course curriculum that engages students while teaching them about the language arts. Some of her courses include “Television as Literature” and her upcoming class “Taylor Swift as Poetry.” “What distinguishes Jessie as a professor is her ability to meet students where they are at,” nominator Holly Andrews said. “She takes time to get to know them as an individual while at the same time creating a supportive environment that encourages them to become better readers, writers and human beings.” Jessie also made a YouTube channel, ProfessorAllen NPCC, which acts as a resource for the more technical side of English arts. This channel acts as both a tutoring tool and a resource for educational professionals. Jessie researched, created and implemented videos to help educators learn to spot artificial intelligence use in the classroom. Additionally she curated resources for students who are accused of using artificial intelligence. These videos have garnered hundreds of thousands of views and a subscriber base of nearly 6,000. “A lifelong learner, Jessie is constantly seeking out
Congratulations On being nominated for the Women of Achievement award!Your dedication, hard work, and leadership have not gone unnoticed, and this nomination is a well-deserved recognition of your contributions. We are proud to have you as TO KATHRYN HISEL
Congratulations ongratulations Mrs. Henderson! for being named a 2024 Women of Achievement FINALIST From your North Platte Catholic Schools family
Katy Henderson McDaid Elementary
a part of our team and are in your corner as you continue to inspire and empower other women! You are an inspiration to us all and we are confident that you will continue to achieve great things in your career!
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