Revere High School guidance counselor Emily Rion recently received the Revere Parent Teacher Association Educator of the Year Award and the Region 13 Educator of the Year Award for her contributions to the student experience at Revere. 

Rion explained the award. 

“I received the PTA [Educator of Year] award for the high school and then the district. When [I received] the district award, I [qualified] for the regional award. Revere is in Region 13; I received that award out of 90 educators. I also received Nordonia’s educator of the year award in 2018 for their district,” Rion said. 

Rion discussed the qualities that she believes led to her nomination for the awards. 

“I was nominated and chosen for my continued efforts in creating and developing programs [for students] like the Minuteman Career Academy and the Minuteman Career Experience. [I credit] the relationships I’ve built with staff and students for [helping me accomplish these things],” Rion said. 

Fellow guidance counselor Elizabeth Long commented on Rion’s contributions to Revere High School.

“She worked alongside Mr. Jeff Dallas to create the Minuteman Career Academy and Senior Internship Program; she is also the co-advisor of Active Minds along with Mrs. Bonnie Simonelli,” Long said. 

Guidance counselor Nicholas DePompei also commented on Rion’s programs. 

“On top of working with her [alphabetically designated] students, she has taken on programs such as Strong Teens and AP testing,” Depompei said. 

Guidance office secretary Terri Reinhold discussed Rion’s contributions to the character of Revere High School. 

“Mrs. Rion is truly here for all of the students at Revere. She always has a smile on her face and truly cares about them all; she actively listens and helps put their minds at ease, offering them guidance regarding [educational and personal issues],” Reinhold said. 

Long explained why she believes Rion won the award. 

“She works tirelessly to address the needs of all students. Through my work on the Vision of a Minuteman committee, I have seen our community express a need for more social and emotional support for students, and some of the programs that Mrs. Rion has introduced tie directly into that need. She has been a wonderful addition to the Revere Schools community,” Long said. 

Reinhold agreed, citing Rion’s significant impact on the community. 

“She earned this award because of how much she cares about the students, families, and faculty at Revere and how she has contributed so much in the short time she has been here,” Reinhold said. 

Rion expressed gratitude to the Revere community for their support. 

“I feel like this isn’t an award for me; it’s an award for our district and the incredible dedication of our staff. [Regional recognition] is a huge deal, but this is not about me. In this field of education, everyone is part of this team, parents, teachers, and students; we’re all on this team helping students to reach their goals,” Rion said. 

She praised her colleagues in the guidance department for their work as well.

“Revere has been nothing but welcoming to me, [especially my colleagues in] the guidance office, Mrs. Long, Mr. Depompei, Mrs. Reinhold, and Mrs. Simonelli; we all have a role to play,” Rion said. 

Rion feels honored and grateful to have received these awards and to work within the Revere community.