Idaho State Reflections Winners

Reflections Awards Ceremony

Special Election for President-Elect
A vacancy in the office of President-Elect shall be filled by a special election at the next annual Convention. The President-Elect shall assume office immediately. A special election to fill a vacancy does not preclude a regular election at the same Convention for the same office for the following term.

Additional nominations may be made from the floor provided nominees are qualified (is a member of Idaho PTA, has previous PTA experience, and meets other criteria listed in the Idaho Standing Rules, have given consent, and notification was given in writing (mail or email) to two (2) Executive Board members seven (7) calendar days prior to the day of General Session 1 of their intent to run.

Outstanding Educator
of the Year

Although I spent my childhood in Michigan, I have lived in Idaho nearly 23 years and it is my home. I am the mother of two boys, now well into adulthood and have five stepchildren, also all adults. My husband and I love to travel and often travel to pursue our love of scuba diving.
I spent nearly 15 years as a classroom teacher in West Ada teaching both fourth and fifth grades. I earned my master's degree in counselor education from Northwest Nazarene University in 2013. At that time, I left the schools to pursue private practice as a mental health counselor. I soon realized that I desperately missed working in the schools and most importantly, I missed the kids. I think it was at this point in my life that I also realized that teaching is a calling and what I was meant to do. I came back to education in 2017 as a school counselor and truly believe I have the best job ever.
As the counselor at Chaparral Elementary I get to wear many hats. I support all students K-5 with their academic, social, and emotional needs. My responsibilities include teaching classroom social emotional lessons, counseling individual students, facilitating student support groups, and providing information and resources to students and families. I also support our teachers and staff as much as I possibly can.
I truly feel like I get to live my life by the saying, “Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Volunteer of the Year

My name is Jen Alvey and I am married to my husband and best friend Josh. We have three amazing children, Hunter, McKenna, and Lincoln, and a lab named Cozmo. We have lived in Boise for 15 years. I enjoy camping, kayaking, bowling, reading, crafting, and being with my family.

I have spent the last 6 years involved with volunteering and PTA at Prospect Elementary. I started out with odds and ends of PTA and then took over as VP of fundraising. Through a variety of changes to our PTA boards I ended up taking over as PTA president.

I have loved serving the community of Prospect Elementary and have found a love for the students, parents, and staff through the years. It’s been an amazing journey and one I will never forget.

I am honored and humbled to receive this award but I couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of my board members, staff, and families. Thank you to everyone who has made this all possible!