黑料正能量 alumni 补苍诲听 have been named the winners of Teacher of Year in Richmond and Columbia counties.
Willis, who earned her Specialist in Advanced Studies degree from 黑料正能量, has taught fifth-grade English at聽 in Richmond County for the past six years.聽 Butler, who is 鈥渢riple Jag,鈥 having graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary education, a master鈥檚 degree in education and an Educational Specialist in Advanced Educational Studies degree from 黑料正能量, is currently a third-grade teacher at in Columbia County.
Both teachers will compete for Georgia Teacher of the Year in February 2023.
,听聽of the聽 at 黑料正能量, said she could not be prouder of this year’s winners.
鈥淥ur graduates are well equipped with the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to be highly effective teachers,” Wilson said. “Our AU alums consistently represent us with excellence and that is evident from the number of Teacher of the Year finalists we have each year. It is a joy and honor to celebrate their powerful stories of impact with our community.鈥
Richmond County Teacher of the Year: Shikara Willis
聽remembers the exact year she decided to become a teacher. She was in the third grade at Bungalow Road Elementary School in Richmond County.
She began the year full of joy and smiling every day in class, excited to be at school. But a few months later, her smile had vanished and her third-grade teacher, Eleanor Lambert, immediately noticed something was wrong.
鈥淢y family was going through a difficult time and Mrs. Lambert noticed that my light had dimmed,鈥 Willis said. 鈥淪he was always really attentive to the students. And she suddenly saw that happy little girl that used to hop on in to her third-grade class was no longer there. So, she quickly took an interest in what was going on in my life, as well as with my family. The impact that she had on me was absolutely amazing.鈥
Willis paused a moment, trying to hold back tears.
鈥淪he did it for me. She is my why. She is my reason that I went into teaching,鈥 Willis said. 鈥淓ven in the third grade, I had this whole idea that if I could be half of what she was to me to somebody else, then it will be worthwhile.鈥
For the past 19 years, Willis has taught students in both Richmond and Burke counties by leading with her heart.
鈥淚 think teaching takes a heart of service in order to be able to work with children each day,鈥 she said. 鈥淓verybody can鈥檛 do it because it鈥檚 not easy. You have to love it.鈥

Willis, who earned her Specialist in Advanced Studies degree from 黑料正能量, has taught fifth-grade English at聽聽for the past six years. She began her career at Blakeney Elementary School in Burke County, also teaching fifth-grade English.
鈥淚 like to call myself a 10-year-old professional,鈥 Willis said, laughing. 鈥淚 know 10-year-old kids because that鈥檚 all I鈥檝e ever taught. I don鈥檛 know any other age. But 10- to 11-year-old kids, I get them. I know those kids.鈥
At that age, the students can be a challenge, but Willis says she understands their struggles.
鈥淚 remember one of my very first students when I was teaching in Burke County, named Reginald. I still occasionally see him because he is a grown-up now living in Augusta. He won鈥檛 mind me saying this, but when he was in third grade, I really think his motivation every single day was, 鈥業 am either going to make you or break you,鈥欌 Willis said, chuckling. 鈥淏elieve me, I had his mom鈥檚 number on speed dial. She would talk to him and he would get back in line. But there were times when I thought, 鈥楾his is it. I cannot do this anymore.鈥 It was my first year of teaching.鈥
But when Willis runs into Reginald now as an adult, he always tells her how much she meant to him, she said.
鈥淲hen I see him, I remind him of the hard time he gave me and he smiles this beautiful smile and tells me, 鈥榊eah, but I really liked you. Thank you. You were a great teacher,鈥欌 Willis said. 鈥淚 even run into his grandmother and she says that I was one of his favorite teachers, but even she will joke, 鈥業 don鈥檛 even know how you did it with him.鈥 And I鈥檓 honest with her and always say, 鈥楳a鈥檃m, I don鈥檛 know either. Grace and mercy.鈥欌
Over the years, Willis has attended some of her former students鈥 graduations and followed their careers because聽she wants her current and former students to know that she cares about their future.
When Willis learned that she was a finalist for Teacher of the Year in Richmond County, she was floored.
鈥淚 have to say, when I was selected as Teacher of the Year for C.T. Walker, I was really humbled because there are so many of the teachers here who give the very best that we have and we work hard together as a team for the benefit of the children,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hen, to be one of the finalists in the county, that was just the icing on the cake.鈥
Willis said her 14-year-old twins surprised her by saying, 鈥淢om, you know, you鈥檝e always been a Teacher of the Year in our hearts.鈥
But Willis said her husband鈥檚 words after the announcement really moved her: He told her how much she deserved the recognition.
鈥淚t meant a lot because he has seen the days of frustration and the days of joy,鈥 she said. 鈥淗e knows about me having to purchase things for some of the children, especially when I was in Burke County, who didn鈥檛 have the money to purchase items. He knows about me telling some of the kids, 鈥楲eave your bookbag behind. When you are in P.E., I鈥檒l put food in your bag for the weekend for you and your sister.鈥 He knows how much I care about these kids.鈥
Columbia County Teacher of the Year: Ameesha Butler
For the past six years, Ameesha Butler was a third-grade teacher at Westmont Elementary in Columbia County. Westmont, which opened its doors in 1970, is currently being rebuilt into a new state-of-the-art facility.
Therefore, Butler began this school year at Martinez Elementary where she has embraced her new coworkers and student body.
鈥淲hen I taught at Westmont, my favorite thing was the family that we鈥檇 built,鈥 Butler said. 鈥淲ith Westmont being such a small, neighborhood school, everyone knows everyone. Many of the students have parents and grandparents who attended Westmont decades ago. The closeness of it all really makes Westmont such a special place, unlike any other.
鈥淣ow that I鈥檓 at Martinez, the people still make it extremely special. I love my teammates. They鈥檙e phenomenal, dynamic educators and they champion me so loudly.鈥

Butler is also a proud 鈥渢riple Jag,鈥 having graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary education, a master鈥檚 degree in education and an Educational Specialist in Advanced Educational Studies degree, all from 黑料正能量.
鈥淔or as long as I can remember, school is always something that鈥檚 come easy to me. I grew up with several teachers in my family,鈥 Butler said. 鈥淢y mother was a teacher. I also had phenomenal teachers from Pre-K through college. I can actually call them all by name.鈥
Initially, Butler considered becoming a biochemical engineer, but she soon realized that career wouldn鈥檛 fulfill her.
鈥淚 knew I wanted to do something that would make a significant impact on the world,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 knew I needed to run toward what I felt was calling me: teaching. Since deciding to 鈥榓nswer my calling,鈥 it鈥檚 been the most amazing journey. I guess you could call it kismet. I鈥檓 getting to do what I love and make a significant impact, just like I set out to do.鈥
Butler says she enjoys every aspect of teaching, from data collecting and goal setting to relationship building and creating engaging learning experiences for her students.
鈥淓very day is a brand-new day to make a difference for each of my 46 students,鈥 Butler said. 鈥淗onestly, this has been one of the most humbling, most amazing seasons of my career as a teacher.鈥
鈥淚 work with such incredible teachers who are absolutely role models for me, so this whole experience means so much to me,鈥 she added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a blessing to know that your colleagues see the hard work and love you pour into your work and they recognize you for it. I鈥檓 just grateful.鈥
Butler believes the three degrees she received at 黑料正能量 prepared her well for the classroom.
鈥淭here are hours of in-person, in-field experiences from the very first moment that you express interest in becoming a teacher and I feel like that plays a role in the high-quality of teachers that AU is able to produce,鈥 Butler said. 鈥淚n fact, I was so well-prepared that I was actually hired for my first full-time teaching position on graduation day. I left the undergraduate classroom and moved into my very own classroom within a matter of days. Because AU prepared me so well, I aspire to be like the professors I had and one day teach future teachers.鈥