Morris County School of Technology Teacher from Roxbury Nominated for National Award

Published on February 06, 2018

Jennifer Skomial of Roxbury up for LifeChanger of the Year Award

Jennifer Skomial, who teaches at the Academy for Education and Learning at the Morris County School of Technology in Denville, has been nominated for the 2017-2018 national LifeChanger of the Year award.

Sponsored by the National Life Group Foundation, the national LifeChanger of the Year program recognizes and rewards the very best K-12 public and private school educators and employees across the nation who are making a difference in the lives of students by exemplifying excellence, positive influence and leadership.

(JPG, 338KB) Jennifer Skomial and MCST Principal Lynne Jackson

Jennifer was nominated by a colleague whom she mentored last year. As a lead teacher, Jennifer is known for helping all of her colleagues find success. She is actively involved in her school, making herself available for students, staff and her community when needed.

"She is always pleasant, smiling and encouraging," the nominator said. "She is a great role model on a professional and personal level."

"We are very proud to have one of our excellent educators at the School of Technology nominated for this award and to represent Morris County in this competition,'' said Freeholder Thomas Mastrangelo, who is the county governing board's liaison to MCST.

(PNG, 18KB) Jennifer Skomial

Preparing high school students for careers in the field of education has been a full-circle moment in her career.

As a junior and senior at Morris Knolls high school, Skomial attended the same teacher prep program that she now teaches -- preparing her students to teach, arranging for guest speakers and field trips to help further explore careers in education, and creating lessons that engage her students in all aspects of child development, classroom management, and other teaching-related topics.

I state with conviction that I have never worked with a more genuinely devoted teacher,'' said MCST Principal Lynne Jackson. "Jennifer Skomial is innovative, creative, and collaborative. She consistently brings out the very best in her students and colleagues.

Each school year, the LifeChanger of the Year program receives hundreds of nominations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For 2017-2018, there will be a total of 17 individual LifeChanger of the Year awards.

Award winners are selected based on the following criteria: A proven ability to make a beneficial difference in the lives of students, positively adding to the development of a school's atmosphere, involvement in leadership activities, a record of excellent performance at the professional level, a commitment to producing a nurturing atmosphere, and adherence to high moral and ethical standards.

Each winner will receive a cash award that is split between the individual winner and their school. The national Grand Prize award is $10,000.