Please join National English Honor Society in congratulating our 2020-2021 John L. Manear Outstanding Advisor recipient: Cami Badman. Badman is the Chapter Advisor of the Best-Shirey-Little Chapter at Sullivan High School, IL. Please read on for excerpts of the nomination letters submitted by Cami’s principal, Daniel Allen; her colleague, Rebecca Lawson; and her NEHS chapter’s former President, Aiden Short.
Daniel Allen: As someone who taught with her, then became elementary school principal in that same district, and now serves as her high school principal, I have seen her leadership through vastly different lenses. She has taken this program from an organization that was largely inactive to one that is highly active. She has worked diligently to cooperate with the elementary school in an effort to spark an interest in reading and writing with the students. This has been done through book drives, a pen pal program, and having her members partner-read with elementary students. Her students have also done a blanket drive for the local homeless shelter, worked with the media center specialist to help choose books for the library, placed hearts on all students’ lockers with a piece of candy for Valentine’s Day, and sponsored literacy contests within the school.
Rebecca Lawson: Badman, who has served as Chapter Advisor from 2016 to now, deserves this award for many reasons. First and foremost, she has helped this organization become very active. When I helped establish this group several years ago, it was basically a “put it on your resume” kind of group. Students belonged to it, but the group did very little. Under her leadership, the SHS chapter has held book drives that have collected thousands of books and a blanket drive that gathered over 200 blankets for a local homeless shelter. There is no doubt that this organization has grown and flourished under her leadership. A positive and inspirational leader, Badman is a role model of exceptional communication skills and holds student members accountable for being members of an honor society.
Aiden Short: Beginning with the successes of our chapter, the level of participation in NEHS has never been as high. Mrs. Badman has added to our activities, increased the membership, and continually improved the way in which our group functions. On the participation side, the number of people signing up for committees, genuinely participating in those committees, taking part in our donations, helping out with our activities, signing up for our trips, volunteering for extra work, and attending meeting have all increased. The joy and happiness she projects while teaching radiates throughout the room. One final thing is that Mrs. Badman is a champion for us students. There is not another teacher that sticks up for her students more than she does.
