Harry Hurst Middle School teacher Lauren Waguespack made headlines earlier this year when she was awarded $25,000 after being named a recipient of the Milken Educator Award. She recalled the day she received the award as the surprise of a lifetime and added that it’s her best memory, so far, of her teaching career.
“Never in a million years could I have dreamed that this was something that would happen. I didn’t even know an award like this existed before I received it,” she said. “I was definitely shocked by the recognition, especially when there are so many phenomenal educators at our school who are just as deserving.”
Waguespack, who teaches science to sixth graders, has been around education most of her life. Her dad is a teacher and her grandmother worked at the high school she attended.
“I remember at a young age helping my dad to organize papers for his classes and I definitely played school a lot as young girl,” Waguespack said.
However, she actually began her studies in college in the field of psychology, but that didn’t turn out to be quite what she expected.
“I joined the education department at Southeastern and changed my major. It turns out it was one of the best decisions I ever made,” she said. “I fell in love with the profession and being an educator. It was and is absolutely where I am meant to be.”
Waguespack loves almost everything about her job at Harry Hurst, but what she enjoys the most are the relationships she builds with her students.
“Each of them brings something so unique and special to our classroom,” she said. “I enjoy connecting with them and sharing my love of science and learning with them. It’s especially important for me to help them to understand that their potential is limitless and to help them develop the skills and grit necessary to accomplish any goal they set in their lives.”
Waguespack, who said she loves teaching science because it allows her to share her love of learning about the world around us, received the Milken Educator Award in February. She was unaware she was a candidate for the award, which was announced at a surprise assembly at Harry Hurst.
“I was actually a part of the committee that planned the pep rally for the event, so I was completely caught off guard by the award,” she said.
While she said her life hasn’t changed much since winning, she still finds it surreal that she was one of the few selected from around the country.
“But honestly it has been a great honor to be selected as one of the four Milken Educators in all of Louisiana. It has also been a humbling experience,” she said. “Like I stated previously, there are so many excellent educators in my school and I’m certain in Louisiana as a whole. I want to make sure I represent them and the profession well.”
As for the $25,000 she received along with the award, Waguespack plans to use it to pay off some bills and then put the rest away.
“Although I will keep some of it on the side to do something fun with, but not sure what exactly yet,” she said.
Soon, Waguespack will get to meet her new group of students, which is her favorite part of the school year.
“A new group of personalities, a new group of passions and learning interests,” she said. “A new group of kids that I get to be a small part of their journey in life.”