NMB High School English teacher honored as HCS Rookie of the Year

By Ruben Lowman

Alicia Davenport, an English teacher and former student at North Myrtle Beach High School, was honored alongside her peers as Horry County Schools’ Rookie Teacher of the Year in an intimate ceremony held earlier this month. 

“Wow! What a pleasant surprise to say the least. I’m thrilled to be here and humbled to accept the award as the 2022 HCS Rookie Teacher of the Year after a very difficult two years, one being a rookie teacher and the other that was difficult for everyone in here,” Davenport said after letting everyone in attendance know she was a bit nervous to be accepting such a prestigious award.

The county’s Rookie Teacher of the Year program, supported by the College Football Playoff Foundation in partnership with Coastal Carolina University, is designed to recognize and celebrate teachers within the first three years of their career and improve teacher retention by celebrating success early in their careers. Each school’shonorees are nominated by their principals for their professionalism in providing quality instruction and meeting the needs of all students. 

“I want to first of all congratulate all of our top five finalists in the room for doing an excellent job. And you got here because you were recognized for your professionalism and what you do to serve and deliver high quality instruction to students in HCS, so thank you so much,” said Dr. Rick Maxey, HCS Superintendent.

Maxey explained that honoring the rookie teachers is always a special experience for him, as the reception received from their students is such an enriching life experience, and is why teachers get into the profession in the first place.

“One of the pleasures I have each year is going out to congratulate the winners for the various categories and certainly the rookie teacher’s visitation was not any different from others, but immediately you detect when you make the announcement in the classroom that there is one thing that you all have in common – your students love you,” Maxey said.

“They love their teacher. And that is certainly the greatest accolade that any teacher could hope for – is to be loved and admired by your students.”

Principals, family and friends were all in attendance to support their school’s teacher. They were seated at socially-distanced tables alongside their school’s rookie teacher of the year.

Davenport, who attended NMBHS before graduating from the University of South Carolina, was then announced as this year’s winner, and she made sure to highlight in her eloquent speech all of the other people in her life and career that led her to this special moment.

“I want to first thank my principal, Ms. Teresa Todd, and the support of administrators at the NMB High School for all their support; my fellow teachers and coworkers who have been very uplifting and just extremely helpful during this difficult time for all of us that is ever changing; and to my family and friends, my mom who is here with me especially,” Davenport said, before also commending her fellow nominees and the amount of love and resilience they put forth every day to make the world a better place. 

Todd, NMBHS principal, said that she was “So proud of Alicia! She was an excellent student and she is an awesome teacher! We are blessed to have her at NMBHS.”

In accepting her award, Davenport said she knew that she always wanted to be a teacher but never thought it would be possible to be a teacher at the same high school that she attended, so she has always felt that is an awesome treat for her.As a true great teacher would, she deflected much of the attention to the people who moulded and inspired her throughout her life.

“Teaching at my alma mater and navigating the same halls I once tugged my heavy backpack through as a teen has been really sweet and tender, to be honest,” she described.

“And seeing my students do the same is a priceless moment that I enjoy every day. I am grateful that I get to give back to the same community that gave me so much and to teach in a district that made me a priority and ensured that I was filled and ready to take on the next step and the next chapter in my life. I thank all of my former teachers, who were selfless and caring in their waythat they grew me as a student and as person. I owe much of my desire to be a teacher to them, as I try to emulate them on a daily basis. It has all come full circle in a very surreal and magical way.”

After explaining what led her to this moment in her life and acknowledging all of the individuals who have played an instrumental role in that process, she took the time to highlight the amazing things she encounters on a daily basis, namely the inspiration and knowledge she gleans from her students. 

“Most importantly, however, I gotta shout out the kiddos, my students. The individuals who are really responsible for making me rookie teacher of the year-worthy are my kids,” Davenport described. “They are the true teachers for many of us, as we can all attest. I have learned so much about life, about new perspectives, about new ideas, and they are extremely creative, especially with their TikToks and their dances, I’m learning something new every day with them and it’s awesome.”

Davenport made sure to recognize the difficulties her students have gone through during her brief time as a teacher, and acknowledged the amazing strides they have made amid an extremely challenging time.

“And their new approaches to learning and navigating life’s ups and downs. My students make me laugh with their witty sayings and their jokes, but they also keep me on my toes and they keep me thinking with their on-the-fly questions that I have no control over. There is no experience comparable to being in the classroom to watch students’ growth and their moments of joy. I enjoy every moment that I have with my students as I see them learn and I get to explore possibilities with them that are endless, and we strive to make the world a better place for all of us.”

She finished her speech by quoting a heartfelt lyric from her favorite song “Devotion” by Earth, Wind & Fire that encapsulates the love, tenderness and determination it takes to succeed as a teacher.

“‘Through devotion, blessed are the children, praise the teacher that brings true love to many, your devotion opens all life’s treasures and deliverance from the fruits of evil.’ Thank you again to the coordinators and committee members in Human Resources who helped organize the rookie teacher of the year endeavors and kept us in the loop with coming information. Thank you to Superintendent Dr. Rick Maxey. And I’m very appreciative of this award and to have this honor, so thank you!”

Before concluding the ceremony, Dr. Maxey took the opportunity to note Davenport for her compassion and bid a farewell to one of the most challenging schoolyears in recent history and strike an optimistic note for the summer and the beginning of the next schoolyear in the fall.

“Thank you Miss Davenport for sharing those words with us. Truly you have the heart of a teacher and we congratulate you on this special recognition,” Maxey said.

“I want to thank you again all of you for deciding to be a part of HCS. The meaning that you bring serving in these roles, we cannot account for it, the magnitude. And it’s just so special for me to have the honor to participate in an event that recognizes people who have excelled in their profession. And the great part that I look at is I know I’m going to hear more from you in the future, that you are going to continue to do great things for us. And I thank you for being part of our team and it has been a difficult year. Hopefully, as we move into the new one this August, we are going to return to that sense of normalcy, so congratulations again.”