Edmond teacher transforms lives, inspires at-risk students
EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) — It's the teachers at Boulevard Academy, like News 4's Pay it 4Ward award winner, Nora Self, who take time to make a difference, whether it is in the classroom or any setting that helps her students excel.
'These are the kids that need the most love, the most attention to succeed in life,' said Math teacher Nora Self when talking about her passion for helping students at Boulevard Alternative School in Edmond.
Boulevard Academy offers students, who are at risk of not graduating from high school, a place to learn in a way that makes that diploma possible.
One of the students whom Nora has helped is Sophie Wong.
A special honor for a special education paraprofessional
With Nora's help, Sophie was able to get her degree from Edmond Santa Fe High School, and that's not all.
'As a Boulevard Academy graduate, I'm now a student at UCO, a senior, and I'm graduating with a finance degree in May,' Sophie told News 4. 'So I owe part of that to her, I don't think I would have finished high school without her and her encouragement.'
And that's why she nominated her friend and mentor, Mrs. Self, for First Fidelity Bank's Pay It Forward Award.
Mrs. Self's principal, Josh Williams at Boulevard Academy, says she goes above and beyond to help her students.
'She's special. It's not uncommon to walk by and see her tutoring kids individually out in the hallway during her lunch break, things like that,' says Williams. 'Coming in before or after school just to make a difference with kids.'
So, with the $400 in hand from First Fidelity's Brad Willis, we surprised Mrs. Self in the school's gym, where she was giving some of her students a reward for their hard work by letting them play a little basketball.
When Sophie presented her with the money and a gracious hug, Mrs. Self told us with tears in her eyes, 'This does mean a whole lot. Especially from a student who is getting ready to graduate from UCO in May. It means the world to me, I'm so excited for her future, and I greatly appreciate her recognizing me.'
Nora Self, paying it forward, one student at a time.
Pay it 4Ward is sponsored by First Fidelity Bank.Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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