Marshall County Board of Education members and county administrators recognized Service Personnel and Teacher of the Year nominees during the regular board meeting on Tuesday evening.

Heather Markonich, Media Library Aide at Sherrard Middle School, was named Service Personnel of the Year for Marshall County Schools. Markonich builds strong relationships with her students and helps anywhere she is needed. She lets kids know they need to work hard to get ahead in life.

“Education is important,” Markonich explained. “A student may have a bad day, one day, but that is okay. There is always tomorrow is what I tell them.” She goes out of her way to help others, and she hopes that the students see this and will use her as an example in their life.

Bricie Brannan, a teacher at Sherrard Middle School, was awarded Marshall County Schools Teacher of the Year. She currently teaches Science and Project Lead the Way (PTLW) and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses. Brannan graduated from West Liberty University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a Science fifth through ninth grade endorsement.

Within her first year as a teacher, she created the inaugural STEM class at the middle school. By teaching STEM and PTLW classes, Brannan is able to reach students in every grade. She teaches five different classes in a 10-period day and is an Apple Certified Teacher. In 2020, Brannan won the Outstanding Industry Educator Award.

Each year service personnel, teachers and administrators vote a faculty and staff member to represent their building as a county contender. Then a committee, consisting of county office officials and previous award recipients, conducts interviews and chooses the county winners.

Service Personnel of the Year nominees also included: Melissa Bryan (Cameron Elementary School), Kimberly Poling (Cameron High School), Shiela Haught (Center McMechen Elementary School), Melinda Woods (Central Elementary School), Tammy Fahnestock (County Office), Erica McDonald (Gateway Achievement Center), Bonnie Fromhart (Glen Dale Elementary School), Natasha Rynkievich-Sears (Hilltop Elementary School), Chelsea Rine (John Marshall High School), Joseph Aston (Maintenance), Anna Myers (McNinch Primary School), Melissa Pajak (Moundsville Middle School), Beth Gilles (Sand Hill Elementary School), ,  Sandra “Dee” Gamble (Transportation) and Emily Gaughenbaugh (Washington Lands Elementary School).

Other Teacher of the Year nominees at each school included: Jenna Battista (Cameron Elementary School), Dirk Roe (Cameron High School), Katie Pszczolkowski (Center McMechen Elementary School), Rickilyn Roberts (Central Elementary School), Erin Lyseski (Glen Dale Elementary School), Juliann Allman (Hilltop Elementary School), Alexa Bushovisky (John Marshall High School), Kallie Kastrevec (John Marshall High School), Sarah Bonar (McNinch Primary School) Meredith Hahn (Moundsville Middle School), Mary Wilkerson (Sand Hill Elementary School) and Melissa Love (Washington Lands Elementary School).  

All Service Personnel Members of the Year and Teacher of the Year nominees were presented with a certificate for being chosen as designees at their respective district locations.