Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is pleased to announce five finalists for 2024 Teacher of the Year. Each was selected from among county Teachers of the Year winners and is recognized for their contribution to the profession and commitment to supporting and advancing student learning and overall well-being.
“Our public schools, teachers and service personnel work each day to provide the sustained supports necessary to prepare students academically and developmentally for a bright future.”
Michele Blatt, State Superintendent of Schools
Finalists Include:
Sharon Cole
Sharon Cole is a second grade teacher at Ceredo-Kenova Elementary School in Kenova. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Marshall University and is certified in Elementary Education grades 1-6 and Social Studies grades 4-8. Cole’s enthusiasm for teaching and learning is reflected in the life-sized “Magic Treehouse Reading Center” in her classroom, which provides a unique learning environment for her students and instills a love of reading in them provides. As a veteran teacher, she implements rigorous, engaging and differentiated strategies while elevating expectations for all students to achieve academic, social and emotional standards and goals. She is a member of her school’s leadership team, hiring committee, and is the leader of the Second Grade Curriculum Team. Additionally, she served as president of the Ceredo-Kenova Elementary Faculty Senate for three terms. Cole is a model teacher for Marshall University student teachers and serves as a mentor for future teachers.
Michael Harshbarger
Michael Harshbarger is a mathematics teacher at the Cabell County Career Technology Center (CCCTC) in Huntington. She attributes her career pathway to teaching as a calling after years in the accounting field. Harshbarger holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting with minors in Economics and Management from Marshall University. She transitioned to the teaching field and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching also from Marshall. She teaches financial algebra and advanced math modeling at the CCCTC and is an academic advisor for the National Technical Honor Society and SkillsUSA chapters. Harshbarger is the treasurer of her school’s Faculty Senate and is a part of the Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teacher Fellowship where she collaborates with math peers statewide to improve student proficiency. In support of charitable pursuits, she provides students with community service opportunities including Red Cross blood drives and the Empty Stockings Christmas service project.
Kimberly Hunt
Kimberly Hunt is a 17-year veteran of teaching at Roosevelt Elementary School in Point Pleasant. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary from Glenville State College (now University) and a Master of Arts in Literacy Education from Marshall University. Hunt has completed several professional training courses to advance her teaching effectiveness. This has led to her being awarded titles of Mason County Reading Teacher of the Year and the Eddie C. Kennedy Reading Teacher of the Year. She is a member of the International Literacy Association and a lifetime member of the West Virginia Reading Association. Hunt received the Jeri Calhoun Scholarship for the FOSS Summer Institute in Berkeley, California and the Mason County Community Foundation Grant reflecting her commitment to improving education for all.
Jennifer Kirk
Jennifer Kirk is an English teacher at Oak Hill High School (OHHS) in Fayette County. She currently holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literacy and Secondary Education from West Virginia Wesleyan College. She has served as an OHHS 10th grade team leader and on the school’s leadership team. Additionally, she is a Fayette County master teacher, mentor teacher and writes curriculum for summer learning programs in the county. Her most valued role is that of OHHS Student Council co-sponsor where she organizes charitable activities for students including the donation of hundreds of dollars in materials to local food banks, a women’s center and to the school’s social workers.
Jaime Young
Jaime Young is a first grade teacher at Woodsdale Elementary School in Wheeling. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Reading from West Liberty University. A 14-year veteran of teaching, Young follows advice given to her early in her career to love students first, build the classroom family and then the learning will always follow. This has led to her classroom being an exciting and engaging learning environment. She is an advisor to her school’s Student Council Program, which organizes and completes service projects for the school and community. She also serves on the schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Team and as the reading tutor program facilitator. It is Young’s hope that her positive classroom energy will inspire her students to become educators as well.
“I am incredibly proud of our finalists and the dedication they have shown throughout their careers to the children of our state,” said State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt. “Our public schools, teachers and service personnel work each day to provide the sustained supports necessary to prepare students academically and developmentally for a bright future.”
West Virginia’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and School Service Personnel of the Year will be announced on September 12, 2023, during a ceremony at the Clay Center in Charleston.
For more information about the West Virginia Teacher of the Year, please visit the WVDE Teacher of the Year page.
