Trish Owens

Position: Speech and Language PathologistSchool: Don E. Hayden Elementary SchoolSchool District: Clark County School DistrictCity, State: Las Vegas, Nevada
About the Nominee: Trish Owens works diligently with students that have speech and language difficulties to make them more independent speakers and communicators. She has taken a leadership role within her school to empower her peers to also become leaders. She supports her colleagues in the collaborative problem solving process called "response to intervention." Ms. Owens participates in weekly meetings to discuss struggling students who are at risk for failure in one way or another. She asks questions, brainstorms with teachers, communicates with teachers at other schools and literally stops at nothing to make sure that she and her colleagues are all a community of leaders that supports all learners.What truly sets Ms. Owens apart as a LifeChanger, however, is what she is doing for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. She is giving voice to those who were once voiceless. She supports students who used to be afraid or uncomfortable with their voice, pride in their unique voice. Ms. Owens helps children become comfortable with their hearing devices and communication tools, and she is truly changing their lives and their family trees. Don E. Hayden's students who are deaf may or may not know it, but Ms. Owens is a gift![nominee_videos nominee_email="tlowens@interact.ccsd.net"]