Shepard honored as Jefferson’s Restaurant Teacher of the Year for Hiram

Jefferson’s in Hiram is pleased to announce the first-ever Jefferson’s Teachers of the Year for the Hiram location.

For this inaugural award, Rebecca Shepard was chosen by the Hiram location to be the Teacher of the Year for the area.

Shepard teaches French at Hiram High School, where she also oversees yearbook production and sponsors the French Honor Society. A teacher for 32 years, she has taught in all six states she’s lived in. She was chosen for her long history of serving as a soft landing for all students that pass through her school.

Teachers from across the Atlanta area were chosen from a highly competitive pool of nominations submitted by students and community members. The contest, launched in honor of National Teachers’ Day on May 6, aims to recognize a few of the many deserving teachers in the Atlanta area. Jefferson’s selected Shepard the Teachers of the Year for her compassion, engagement, and ability to nurture her students’ curiosity.

“Our educators like Shepard are all teachers that are beloved by their communities,” said Jefferson’s President Brandon Graham. “Their nominators spoke of the special and joyful relationships these teachers have built with their students, and they spoke of their empathy, generosity, and their deep investment in teaching. The teachers themselves spoke of not being able to imagine doing any other job–and most of all, they spoke of the joy of seeing their students succeed. We’re honored to recognize Rebecca Shepard.”

Each teacher will receive a $500 gift card to Jefferson’s, and their achievement will be commemorated with a “Jefferson’s Teacher of the Year” plaque for all restaurant patrons to see.

This year is the pilot run for the Jefferson’s Teacher of the Year award, launched as a sister program to Jefferson’s Coach of the Year award, which runs in the fall. The teachers’ initiative was open to teachers working with students of any age, and candidates could be nominated by students, parents and guardians of students, school officials, or other community members.