In just a little more than a year of being involved in adult education, Northwest Mississippi Community College Adult Basic Education Instructor Amy Savage has already made an impact. As a result of her work, the DeSoto County Economic and Development Council have named her the Southaven WIN Job Center Adult Educator of the Year for DeSoto County. While she said she was honored by the distinction, the most important reward is playing a part in helping adults obtain their General Education Diplomas and prepare for successful careers.

Savage said her interest in adult education began while she was an elementary school teacher. “In college, I decided I wanted to be involved in education. While I was working in elementary education, a friend and co-worker sparked my interest in the adult field,” she said. “I felt it would be rewarding to help adults get their GED so they could go into the work force or go to college.”

She said helping people find new careers after experiencing a setback has been particularly satisfying. “I’ve worked with people in their 40s who had been laid off jobs they had since they were teens and couldn’t do anything about it because they didn’t have their diploma,”
Savage said. “Having a part in helping them find a new start and helping 17- and 18-year-olds obtain their GED so they can progress in college is also very fulfilling.”

Northwest Director of Adult Basic Education Guy Purdy said Savage’s expertise in reading has helped increase the number of GED graduates in DeSoto County. “Amy is a bright young teacher. With her reading background and teaching experience, we have seen a positive increase in graduates from DeSoto County,” Purdy said.

Savage has noticed an increase in enrollment in the WIN Job Center program as a result of the fluctuating economy. “In the case of 17- and 18-year-olds, they feel the need to help their families financially, and they feel that getting a GED and college experience will help them find a job they can enjoy and use to provide,” she said.

Savage is one of four educators from Mississippi selected to train in using the Student Achievement in Reading system, a tool kit that helps Adult Basic Educators use evidence-based reading instruction in classrooms. She will go to Washington, D.C. in January to train and will teach other Adult Basic Educators around the area.

She said she was surprised to receive the award. “I am honored and thankful for the job I have and the great people I work with,” Savage said.

Savage is a native of Sardis. She taught in the North Panola school district for two years and in the South Panola district for four years before coming to Northwest. She earned her Bachelor of Sciences degree at the University of Mississippi.