At LINK nky, we believe that educators – whether they are teachers or principals, tutors or superintendents – are at the heart of our community’s success. The Educator of the Week contest is our way of recognizing and celebrating the incredible educators who go above and beyond for Northern Kentucky students every day.
By highlighting their dedication, creativity, and impact, we hope to shine a light on the important role educators play in shaping the future—and to give our community a chance to show its appreciation for the people who make a lasting difference in our classrooms.
We’ve had lots of nominations come in, and now it’s time to start voting!
Each week, we will chose three nominees who have made an impact on their community and who represent a diverse mix of roles, grade levels, subject areas, school types and geographic locations.
Stay tuned for the announcement of our first Edutcator of the Week winner on Wednesday!
Click here for a full list of official rules and to nominate an educator.
The Educators
Educator: Rory Glynn
Role: Journalism/Publications/Technology teacher at Notre Dame Academy
Nominator: Bill Thompson
Reason Thompson nominated Glynn:
Rory spent the bulk of his working career as a journalist at the Cincinnati Enquirer, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Cleveland Plain Dealer. When he left the Enquirer in 20212, he could have coasted into a public relations job, but instead decided to become a teacher. Since then, he has taught journalism and coached the tennis team at Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills. Journalism is not the career it once was, but it remains vitally important. Forget the longs hours, and low pay, these are the people who are holding government and business leaders responsible for their actions.
Educator: Gerald Twaddell
Role: Professor at Thomas More University
Nominator: Michael Frost
Why Frost Nominated Twaddell:
Rev. Msgr. Gerald Twaddell, D.Phil. is one of the most dedicated college professors one might ever meet, and anyone who has had the pleasure of being in his class at Thomas More University can attest that his blend of intellectual rigor, inquisitive faith, and service of care for students embodies the very heart of Thomas More University and of the Roman Catholic community in Northern Kentucky. In a time where science and other academic areas are often pitted against the traditions of faith, Professor Twaddell presents students with a wonderful and engaging example of the Catholic/Christian Intellectual Tradition and its commitment to the pursuit of truth and reason. Having been a professor in Northern Kentucky since 1967 and a professor of philosophy at Thomas More University since 1977, he has helped to shape the liberal arts education and personal development of thousands of students, for whom he has served as beloved professor, pastor, faculty leader, and university chaplain for nearly 60 years.
Though I first had him as a professor my freshman year, I personally became very well acquainted with Prof. Twadell through a sophomore-year independent study in modern French philosophy of science and religion. In our weekly discussions, we often ran over the allotted time pivoting between different ideas and historical quirks in the development of modern religion. I was not a philosophy major at the time, but simply trying to satisfy an elective philosophy requirement and a foreign language requirement in one course (He is also qualified to teach French and Latin courses as the need arises) so that I could focus more on my major coursework in biology and chemistry. However, the study of philosophy with Prof. Twaddell opened my mind in a way that, combined with groundwork laid in some other courses, led me to go on a journey or serious reflection leading to a dual-major in philosophy and a return to Christianity following several years as an atheist. At no point did this cassock-wearing professor belittle or argue with me about my non-theistic worldview, which might have been tempting given the subject matter. Instead, true to the university’s spirit, he modeled personal reverence, engagement, and intellectual charity which would linger long after our study was complete and equip me to grow when the time was right.
Though students sometimes describe Professor Twaddell as intimidating owing to his priestly attire and sometimes intensely stern demeanor, his quick wit and warm concern for students makes clear that he leads with love each day. He has already been recognized by the church, leading to the title Monsignor, and the university leadership, leading to his being named to the institution’s first endowed chair (Ziegler Endowed Chair in Philosophy).
Educator: Laina Parsons
Role: Biology and Forensic Science teacher at Bishop Brossart
Nominator: Lilly Drees
Reason Drees nominated Rory Parsons:
Mrs. Laina Parsons is a phenomenal biology and forensic science teacher, and is known for her class pets. Throughout the years, she’s had multiple hamsters and, I believe, a gecko, and she currently has two gerbils that dominate her classroom. She is often seen standing in the hallways between bells, smiling at people they pass by.
Now it’s time to vote
Voting opens at 3 p.m. on Mondays and closes at 3 p.m. to following Monday. Winners will be announced on Tuesday after voting has ended.
Vote as often as you like! There’s no limit to how many times you can show support for your favorite educator during the week.
Share the voting link with friends, family, students, and coworkers—the more people who know about your nominee, the more votes they can earn!
LINK nky encourages friendly competition and community spirit. We want to see entire classrooms, schools and neighborhoods rally behind their favorite educators.
We’ll keep an eye out for spam or automated votes to make sure everyone has a fair chance, but enthusiastic community support is absolutely encouraged.