Elko County educators continue to win statewide awards

Dennis "Digger" Digenan claimed the top award out of an estimated 20,000 teachers in Nevada.

"I never competed for any of these contests," Digenan said at the recent awards ceremony. "It was the students, they're the one's who've won this."

Cathy Smales, a speech and English teacher at Elko High School, was named the runner-up for the teacher of the year award for 2000.

Ann Gustin, Elko County School District trustee, earlier was selected the Nevada School Board Member of the Year. And last month, Spring Creek High School Principal Joe de Braga was awarded the national Milken Award for his work in bringing technology to the classroom.

"These people are indicative of all the teachers and board members in the district," said Marcia Bandera, district superintendent. "They're all willing to do all that it takes for education."

Digenan was selected based on his strong educational background, self-commitment to continuing education, community involvement, his ability to lead and teach others leadership qualities and a proven track record of producing successful students, said Keith Rheault, deputy superintendent Nevada Department of Education.

Besides teaching agriculture and vocational classes, Digenan also works as faculty advisor to the high school's Future Farmers of America Club, a club that took top honors in a national competition.

"It's humbling because I know a lot of great teachers," Digenan said about the award.

He said an agricultural teacher inspired him to think about a career in teaching. His parents, John and Mildred, who encouraged him as a young man to pursue the opportunity.

Digenan now will compete for national teacher of the year. He is invited to attend a meeting in Dallas with the other recipients of the award from all 50 states. Later, the teachers will be invited to a special Rose Garden ceremony at the White House with President Clinton for the announcement of the national award winner.

Smales said she has always been interested in teaching and, even as a little girl, lined up her dolls and played "teacher."

But it wasn't until college in Auburn, Ala., that Smales met her inspiration, a seventh-grade student named Donald who didn't know how to read and thought he didn't need to know.

"I told him 'These are vowels' and he looked at me and said 'So' and that's when I realized I had a challenge to find a way to motivate him and make him learn how important it was for him to read," Smales said.

"By the end of the semester, we had made some progress and I knew that that was what I wanted to do. I think about Donald a lot and I wish in some way I could say 'Thank you' for what he's done for me."

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