During her 41 years as an NHS adviser, Dr. Margaret “Gigi” Lincoln has won myriad awards for her outstanding service in education. These include the Distinguished Professional Award by the Calhoun Area School Board Members Association; the Margaret Grazier Award for Contribution to the Profession for library services by the Michigan Association for Media in Education; and the Special School Librarian Tribute by the Michigan State Legislature, which noted that she is the most senior employee of the Lakeview School District. This year, she added another distinction to her list of achievements: the Rynearson National Adviser of the Year.
The award was named after Edward Rynearson, principal at the Fifth Avenue School in Pittsburgh, PA, who established the first NHS chapter. To honor the memory of Edward Rynearson and the important work he spearheaded, the Rynearson Adviser of the Year award recognizes an adviser who has shown unrelenting dedication to their students and their school.
Any NHS or NJHS adviser with at least three years of experience can be nominated; ideal candidates are those who have demonstrated a professional commitment to their chapter and the mission of the Honor Societies through successful chapter functions—and Dr. Lincoln has led her chapter to accomplish extraordinary feats.
Several of her chapter’s ongoing projects have lasted for more than a decade, such as Read to Lead, an after-school elementary enrichment program that began in 2007 at Lakeview Elementary School. Her members also assist with the statewide FIRST Tech Challenge in robotics by judging and assisting with setup and cleanup. The chapter’s longest-running project is their NHS tutoring program, where NHS members tutor students in grades 5–12, both in person and online. And while Dr. Lincoln’s chapter is highly active within the community, she herself is a notable figure. She is the published author of The Stones Weep and Designing Online Learning: A Primer for Librarians, and she was instrumental in bringing Gerda Klein, a Holocaust survivor, to speak with 1,900 Michigan students.
“Due to Dr. Lincoln’s incredible longevity in her position, she has not only been able to impact thousands of student lives, but is responsible for defining her school’s climate and culture with impactful, experienced programming throughout her tenure,” says Matt Alley, of the Michigan Association of Student Councils and Honor Societies, and one of her supporters.
Principal Jeffrey Bohl of Lakeview High School agrees. “To say that Dr. Lincoln is an outstanding adviser and educator who has had a great impact on our school would vastly understate the case. She is the ultimate educational professional who lives for our students,” he says.
As far as how she views the importance of NHS in schools, her opinion is clear: “Offering NHS membership to students provides great value to a school community by fostering a climate where scholarship, service, leadership, and character are highly regarded by all,” says Dr. Lincoln.
For her service to NHS, her school, her community, and most importantly, to her students, we are proud to honor Dr. Lincoln for her commitment to the pillars of the NHS and the development of young leaders in the Lakeview School District.