From left: Kim McConnaughy, president of the West Virginia Adult Education Association, Inc. presented Cindy Winters with the Adult Educator of the Year Award at the annual awards brunch, Oct. 10.

BY Carolyn Harmon
ThePutnam Standard

December 15, 2008

HURRICANE - When Cindy Winters was growing up, in blue-collar Moundsville, she had four career choices: secretary, nurse, beautician, or teacher.

Since she liked school and having summers off was appealing to her, she chose teaching. She attended West Liberty State College, which was close enough to commute to and work coupled with the receipt of a scholarship allowed her to pay her way through school. While her teachers were supportive and her older brother served as a role model who attended college before her, her family was not supportive of her decision to attend college. It was a blue-collar town, she said.

But all along it was Winters' motivation and ambition that drove her. She has been working in the field of Adult Basic Education in Putnam County for the last 19 years and became the Adult Education Center coordinator at the Putnam Career & Technical Center in 2002. She was recognized this year by the West Virginia Adult Education Association, Inc. (WVAEA) with the Adult Educator of the Year Award. Kathy Hollingsworth, executive director of WVAEA said Winters was chosen because she went beyond the call of duty.

"Cindy helps each student develop confidence and self-esteem by going beyond the 1-2-3's and A-B-C's. She becomes their mentor, counselor, cheerleader, and advocate," Hollingsworth said.

Winters was originally nominated by Walker Thompson, who along with his wife, Gail, have been literacy volunteers in Putnam County and were both very involved in Winters' classroom. According to Walker, Winters does more than teach English and math to help her students prepare to pass the General Educational Development (GED) Tests. She gets involved in their lives. She helps them change their behavior, change their image, improve their self-confidence, and she encourages them to continue their education either by going to college or through vocational training, Walker said. In addition, Winters has been seen giving students breakfast, and helping them with other expenses when necessary, according to Walker.

"I didn't do that all by myself," Winters said. "We were very good at accessing resources."

Winters said one her strengths is knowing where to find help. Among other resources a Lifelong Learning Scholarship Fund helps with expenses that people contribute to, so that when Winters sees a need she can help out with that need from that fund. Another factor in her favor is that Winters has lived in Putnam County for 31 years and her teacher's aide, Debbie King, was raised in the county, so together they know people who can help. In addition to other educators and school staff, Winters gives credit to the students, who like her, have a desire to learn and improve their lives.

"The passion and beauty of the whole thing is not me but the students and the things that we as a group do to put them where they need to be," Winters said.