Howard County Volunteer Receives State Recognition for Service

Howard County parent volunteer and blogger Lisa Schlossnagle has been recognized for her work volunteering in Howard County schools.

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot recently visited Fulton Elementary School to present Schlossnagle his Golden Apple award, which recognizes volunteering to benefit education in the state. The award was given to one recipient in each Maryland county, according to a Howard County schools release.

Schlossnagle is in her third year of volunteering at Fulton Elementary School, Howard County school officials said. Her work includes mentoring with A-OK (Assist Our Kids), being a Fulton Elementary PTA Council delegate (she represents the school’s PTA at PTA Council meetings) and starting a computer science club for young girls in her neighborhood.

In addition to being a parent volunteer, Schlossnagle is an active blogger in Howard County. She said in her blog she was nominated for the award by fellow blogger, Tom Coale, a Columbia Association Board member and author of HoCo Rising.

Schlossnagle writes:

“School volunteers might be considered unsung heroes of public education, although not by the teachers they support, the students they work with, or the administrators who lead each school. The teachers I work with thank me every single time I come in. The kids know my name, and they wave and smile when they see me helping in another part of the building. My mentor student hugs me goodbye at the end of our weekly sessions. As a volunteer, my contributions are always recognized by the people closest to them. I suppose the importance of this award, though, is that it gives communities in each county throughout the state a chance to notice the strength that comes from partnerships between schools and volunteers. Our schools would be a lot less successful without them.”

Are you a parent volunteer at a school? How is it gratifying for you? Tell us in comments.