A 星空无限传媒 graduate is being recognized nationally for her work as an educator over the past decade. Christine Bayard 鈥09 was recently presented with a Milken Educator Award for the 2023-2024 school year. The Milken Educator Awards are the nation鈥檚 preeminent teacher recognition initiative, providing public acknowledgment and unrestricted financial awards of $25,000 to outstanding teachers furthering excellence in education.
Bayard, a sixth-grade math teacher at Johnston-Hopkins Elementary School in New Iberia, joins an elite group of educators who have received this national recognition. She鈥檒l also get to travel to Los Angeles this summer for a conference, where she鈥檒l be able to network with fellow Milken Educators from across the country.
Her journey within the education profession started with inspiration from her mother. 鈥淎s a child, I would go with my mom to her school and help her in the classroom. I was inspired to follow in her footsteps,鈥 she said.
Bayard always kept this desire to teach in the back of her mind. She studied psychology at 星空无限传媒 Lafayette but eventually returned to campus to complete the alternative teacher education program. She knew she was destined to be a teacher and was hired by Johnston-Hopkins Elementary School to kickstart her career. She鈥檚 taught there for the past ten years and has left a lasting impact on the lives of hundreds of students.
On the day of her award ceremony, Bayard thought she was attending an assembly to celebrate the achievements of her school. It wasn鈥檛 until she saw that Lowell Milken and the Louisiana Superintendent of Education were in attendance that she realized it wasn鈥檛 an ordinary assembly.
When they called her name as the recipient of the Milken Educator Award, Bayard could not believe that she was chosen for this honor. 鈥淚 was in complete shock. I鈥檝e been teaching at this same school for a while, and I couldn鈥檛 believe I was being nationally recognized,鈥 she said.
Receiving this award has meant a lot to Bayard and shown her just how much of an impact she鈥檚 made on the lives of her students. 鈥淚t makes me feel like I鈥檓 doing something right. Since receiving the award, I鈥檝e gotten so many kind messages from previous teachers I鈥檝e worked with and students that I鈥檝e taught,鈥 she said.
Bayard is extremely grateful for all of the support she鈥檚 had throughout her teaching career. She said she is looking forward to many more years as an educator and is excited to keep inspiring her students to achieve their dreams.
Main Photo Caption: Lowell Milken, founder of the Milken Educator Awards, congratulates recipient Christine Bayard. "Christine Bayard is an innovative, instructional leader who infuses the joy and adventure of learning in everything she does," he says. "Her exemplary dedication to educational excellence serves as an inspiration to students and fellow colleagues. We thank Christine for selecting teaching for her career and look forward to the contributions she will bring to the national Milken Educator Network." (Photo Credit: Milken Family Foundation) In-Story Photo Caption: Top: Congratulations, Christine Bayard! The $25,000 cash prize that accompanies the Milken Educator Award is unrestricted 鈥 recipients can use the funds however they choose. From left, Iberia Parish School District Superintendent Heath Hulin; Johnston-Hopkins Elementary School Principal Ashley Lewis; recipient Christine Bayard (LA '23); Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken; and Louisiana Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. (Photo Credit: Milken Family Foundation) Bottom: 5.) Excited students rush to envelop Milken Award recipient Christine Bayard in a group hug. (Photo Credit: Milken Family Foundation)