Garion Taylor, Secondary Teacher of the Year
Susan Sowards, Primary/Elementary Teacher of the Year
Superintendent Lynn Torres and the Admin team surprised two teachers as the winners of the District Teachers of the Year. Susan Sowards, first grade teacher at Trout Primary, received the Primary/Elementary Teacher of the Year award, and Garion Taylor, U.S. History teacher at Lufkin High School, received the Secondary Teacher of the Year award. Both teachers may now apply for Region 7 Teacher of the Year.
Garion Taylor is a U.S. History teacher at Lufkin High School. Garion began her teaching career at Galena Park Middle School in Houston, TX after graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University. She began working for Lufkin ISD in 1986 at Dunbar Intermediate. She taught Texas History, Skills for Success and P.E. For the last five years, Garion has been teaching at Lufkin High School in the Social Studies department and is the U.S. History Department Head. She believes that one way that education transcends the classroom is through student travel. She began taking 6th graders to Washington, DC in 2000 and has continued each year. After teaching 37 years, Garion, is retiring from Lufkin High School.
This year’s Primary/Elementary Teacher of the Year is Susan Sowards, first grade teacher at Trout Primary. Susan has her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Texas and Master’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in Special Education. While working on her Master’s degree, she worked for State Representative Jim McReynolds and went to school full time while raising four children. Susan is a member of the Child Protective Services Region 5 Citizens Review Team and has been a Sunday School teacher for many years.
