Eldon teacher Becky Dickerson was in tears before she could even reach the stage.
Prior to welcoming the SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year on Thursday at State Technical College of Missouri, the award ceremony audience viewed a video highlighting Dickerson's accomplishments as the 10-year Eldon Career Center health occupations teacher.
Dickerson lost it when a former student appeared on screen.
"I've learned a lot from her. I mean, I owe everything to her," former student and current X-ray technician Ambret Mistler said in the video. "I didn't even know where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do; and she gave me the direction I needed."
Current student Haley Raynolds said Dickerson had a huge impact on her life.
"If she knows that you're having a hard time with family or in school or anything, she will reach out to you and she will help you," Raynolds said.
Not much more needed to be said by the time Dickerson received her plaque, acknowledging her as a proactive teacher and dedicated advisor who helped students find their calling in the health care field.
"It was very emotional, watching that (video), and very rewarding," Dickerson said. "It was a special day."
SkillsUSA is an organization of students and instructors working to improve the quality of the American skilled workforce through personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. In Missouri SkillsUSA, there are 6,000 career and technical education teachers educating more than 223,000 students.
In Dickerson's class, high school juniors and seniors interested in health care learn hands-on skills like CPR, personal hygiene, measuring intake and output, and monitoring vital signs. The class also teaches students medical terminology, anatomy and physiology and how they relate to disease. Students get the opportunity to job shadow professionals in the field, such as doctors, dentists and veterinarians, to see if the job will fit their desired career paths.
"We ask kids to choose their careers before they know what it's all about sometimes," Dickerson said. "This gives them a really good idea if it's something that they want to continue to pursue."
Dickerson has helped students into careers like nursing, physical therapy, patient care, veterinary services and dental hygiene. She also has led several teams to national SkillsUSA competition medals throughout the years and has taken home the first-place award in the Health Knowledge Bowl the past nine years.
"We win a lot at nationals," Dickerson said. "The students carry that knowledge with them forever."
Eldon R-1 School District Superintendent Matt Davis recommended Dickerson for the award as one of the best teachers in a district of more than 175. He said Dickerson is successful because she is so dedicated to her role with the students and works with the entire class to prepare for SkillsUSA competitions, rather than just the high-achieving few.
"I was proud to be there and know that one of our teachers had such an impact on the students and that she is being recognized for making a difference in our kids lives," Davis said. "In the video they showed, some of the kids were tearing up in it; and for me, you're just proud to be a part of an amazing district that is changing kids' lives."
Dickerson was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and moved to Missouri when she was in first grade. She attended Tipton High School, where she was under the tutelage of health occupations teacher Nancy Fedorchak.
Fedorchak won the award 25 years ago and was pleased to see her former pupil earn the same achievement.
"It was wonderful to see her and be there to share that with her," Dickerson said.