LANSING, Mich. – A Detroit educator known for her commitment to help students prepare for college and for expanding and creating internships and programs to encourage them to go on to college has been honored with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery.
The award winner, Lisa Phillips, is the principal at Cass Technical High School in Detroit. The school is part of the Detroit Public Schools District.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education award program in 2014 to recognize outstanding public school educators across the state during the school year.
Winners of the weekly award receive a plaque, a $500 cash prize, and a $500 grant to their classroom, school or school district. One of the weekly winners will be selected as the Educator of the Year and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
She said her favorite part of being an educator is the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of her students. “I consider myself a ‘dream maker’ for students and I am so proud to be able to make my students feel like they can conquer the world,” she said, adding that she was drawn to a career in education by “my passion and love to make sure our students are given as many opportunities as possible in school in order for them to succeed in life and to be productive citizens of society.”
Phillips said her students motivate her to do her best each day. “I simply want to remove all the boundaries or obstacles they face daily, such as poverty and low self-esteem. When I discover my students are in need or hurting, I go to work and remove those obstacles so they can focus on their school work and their education. When I remove obstacles for students, they know I care and want them to succeed in life. Seeing them smile makes me go the extra mile every day.”
