LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Marion Fox was nominated by an acquaintance who wishes to remain anonymous.

The nominator is a product of DC Public Schools who believes that Ms. Fox embodies all of the best qualities of the favorite educators they had while growing up. "As a child, I took for granted the amount of hours my elementary teachers put in at home even after the final bell had long sounded to end the school day. The weariness that comes from the mental drain from repeating yourself and the frustration that follows when teaching a student who is having a bad day."

In addition to her passion for her students, Ms. Fox has also taken a strong interest in the development of the parents in her community. "One of the most critical reasons I believe she should be nominated for this award is the tremendous trust placed in her by the parents she has worked with throughout her nearly 26 yrs of work in education."

"The improvements I have seen in her students from September to June is almost uncanny," her nominator said. "If a child comes to her class in the beginning of the school year not knowing how to write his/her name - by the end of the year the child will be writing his/her name and possibly reading."  Fox not only invests her time with her students, she is also generous with a portion of her salary. She ensures that her students get a well rounded education, including trips, parties and extra learning material for her classroom.

Ms. Fox has a passion to help every student who enters her classroom become better and more intelligent by the time they leave. One of the signature teaching moments in her classroom is when she teaches every student at the age of four or five the difference between being smart and being intelligent. She asks each student, "Students, are you smart or intelligent?"  Each student replies, "I am intelligent. Anyone can be smart!"