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Murray Education Foundation honors teachers, volunteers with Pinnacle Awards at Murray High
Summary
The Murray Education Foundation and Murray City School District held an evening ceremony at Murray High School to present Pinnacle Awards to educators, classified employees and long-time volunteers. The event included student tributes, sponsor presentations and a retirement recognition for a foundation leader.
The Murray Education Foundation and the Murray City School District presented Pinnacle Awards at an evening ceremony at Murray High School to honor teachers, classified staff and volunteers for classroom work and community service.
The awards program recognized multiple educators and volunteers for long service, classroom innovation and efforts to increase inclusion. Superintendent Jen Covington praised the foundation’s leadership and singled out one longtime staffer who is retiring. "Jeanne, your endeavors have demonstrated next level compassion and changed the lives of thousands of Murray students over the years," Covington said, introducing a retirement tribute for Jeanne Habel.
The program included sponsor presentations and short tributes from students, colleagues and partner organizations. Jesse Aguirrego, a Murray High special-education teacher who leads the school’s Best Buddies and Unified sports programs, was introduced by student Neli Southam, who said Aguirrego "knows how to make everyone feel loved and important, even on their bad days." Presenters from Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects and the Murray Education Foundation presented that Pinnacle Award.
Other recipients included Laura Bigler, Jennifer Davies (recognized for more than two decades of volunteer work with teams, PTA and school events), Jennifer Mackey (junior high science teacher), Blair Peterson (kindergarten teacher and inclusion advocate) and Caroline Walker (special-education teacher). Sponsors that presented awards or remarks included Granite Credit Union and Hughes General Contractors; several local architecture firms also participated in presentations.
Speakers and honorees described a range of classroom and extracurricular work: growth of unified sports teams (soccer, basketball, swimming and track), long-term volunteer coordination for team dinners and school events, establishment and expansion of peer-tutoring and Best Buddies chapters, and day-to-day classroom instruction in early grades and language programs. In several remarks, recipients credited principals and district staff for program support and referred to collaborative district-wide efforts to sustain those programs.
The ceremony also included student performances and tributes, a video package for recipients, sponsor remarks noting the role of local businesses in funding awards, and a brief announcement that winners would meet guests at their tables and return to the stage for photos in about five to seven minutes. The foundation’s fundraising success was noted during the event; according to remarks, the Murray Education Foundation now brings in nearly $100,000 in sponsorship revenue annually to support district programs and classroom grants.
The event concluded with thanks to volunteers, student servers and production staff and a formal recognition for Jeanne Habel, who was described by organizers as retiring after leading and expanding the foundation’s work. Winners were asked to meet at tables and return to the stage for photographs and informal receptions following the program.
