Ann Trudgeon, left, of the Oklahoma Development Disabilities Council and Kimberly Lohman, right, news anchor and reporter for KOCO-TV, present Heather Niles with the OK-APSE Supported Employee award at the annual conference in Oklahoma City on February 27.
Each year Oklahoma’s Association for Persons in Supported Employment (OK-APSE) promotes employment success for workers with disabilities through a state-wide award program. This year a local Blackwell resident, Heather Niles, was honored at the 21st Annual OK-APSE Conference on February 27 in Oklahoma City. Niles was awarded the Supported Employee of the Year award for the northwest region.
According to Ann Kinsinger, Pioneer Technology Center’s (PTC) supportive employment training coordinator, "Heather Niles is a remarkable young lady. She has worked with children since she graduated from Blackwell High School in 1997 and still remembers every child’s name with whom she has worked. She has such a talent for teaching young students, that she has her own tutoring business after school hours where she tutors first and second graders in reading and phonics. She is truly amazing!"
Niles started her career working with children as a teacher’s aide in a private child care business. Four years ago, she was hired by the Blackwell School District as a teacher’s aide in the Leap Frog program for pre-kindergarten students. In the Leap Frog program she assists the teacher in teaching phonics, numbers, music, and playground activities.
Niles has made friends with many children and their families in the Blackwell community, as well as with many educators in the Blackwell School District. When Niles is not working as a teaching assistant for the Leap Frog program, she can often be found volunteering in the same program.
Niles loves working with children and is a natural at teaching. At the end of a long day, she appears just as fresh in her approach to her students as when she started the day. She loves to go shopping to find treats, books, and games to use in teaching her students.
Niles is quite involved in activities with her church, from teaching Bible school to singing in the choir. Niles consistently volunteers to work at the Kay County Fair in September every year and volunteers at the Parkside School to help students with reading and phonics.
Niles has many talents and is constantly working on perfecting them. On Fridays, her day off, she takes piano and voice lessons. With the assistance of educational colleagues, she is also developing her skills in the areas of Spanish and sign language. Niles loves learning and is sure to instill that passion in her students.