LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile
« Return to Nominee List
Betty Newman
Position: Title I Paraprofessional
School: Camp Mohave Elementary School
School District: Mohave Valley School District
City, State: Fort Mohave, AZ
Music that Describes Betty
Betty Newman was nominated by her principal, Ricky Cottrell.
Mrs. Newman has been working as a paraprofessional for the past 25 years. In that time, she has joined the leadership team, become the voice for the para team, and helped hundreds of kids to become better readers, students, and people.
"I began working with Mrs. Newman more than 20 years ago when I was still teaching in the classroom," said Cottrell. "In that time, she was high energy, built relationships with students, and always worked to give the students every opportunity to succeed. As I progressed into administration, I was excited to have her on the team. She would take our toughest kids, build them up academically and behaviorally, and help them to believe in themselves. Most importantly, she would never give up on them. Every day was a new day for her. For this reason, I made the decision to add her to the school's SLT team. This was a first for our school, but the insight she brought with her to each meeting helped make our school a better place. No matter the student, staff member, or community member, Betty always had a kind word and believed in their abilities to do great things."