VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Dawn Ihry was selected as the recipient of the Give Back Award. This award
given out by Catholic Financial Life, honors teachers with an exceptional commitment to Catholic education. Catholic Financial Life is a company that is based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This award, given annually, is open to all Catholic elementary, middle, and high school teachers in the United States. First, an educator, had to be nominated. All nominated teachers were then narrowed down through a public voting process. The top 10 vote recipients were reviewed by a panel at Catholic Financial Life to select three winners, based on: Number of Votes, Impact the Teacher made, Additional stories and comments that were shared during the voting
In her nomination letter, Nick Lee (Principal), stated, “Mrs. Ihry is an exceptional teacher, mentor, leader, and practicing Catholic at St. Catherine School. She has been employed at St. Catherine School since 2005. Every colleague she has would have been able to write a list of positive attributes for Mrs. Ihry. More importantly, every student she has had would be able to do the same. Every issue that has arisen in the school this year, has been met with one constant, Mrs. Ihry offering to help in whatever way she can. She goes above and beyond every single day.”
Twice during her tenure, Mrs. Ihry served as a Dean of Students when there was not a principal at the school. Each time, she maintained her teaching position, while adding additional responsibility. Numerous stories were shared by many throughout the community, and it was clear through the voting process that her impact on the Valley City community and St. Catherine Community will be felt for years to come.
