Each year, Fulton Public Schools honors individuals or organizations for their efforts on behalf of the district with the David W. White Outstanding Service in Education Award.
This year, the honor went to Christyn Edwards, a parent volunteer at Bush Elementary School, and to Glenn Harris for his work with FBLA.
Edwards volunteers in Whitney Davis' kindergarten class, where she helps with paperwork and assists students who need a little extra help.
"She's in my room daily - she's a motherly figure for those that need it," Davis said. "She always goes above and beyond - (for example) when we were learning about butterflies, she got our class real caterpillars."
Edwards said she started volunteering in her daughter Nora's classroom in November because with her only child at school all day she is experiencing an early bout of empty nest syndrome, and because she wanted to do something to help.
"I just felt that the teachers do so much, that if there is any small thing I can do to help them out so they can focus on the classroom, I wanted to do it," Edwards said.
She said her favorite part of working in the classroom has been getting to know her daughter's classmates.
"They're so sweet and excited to be there and tell you things," Edwards said.
Harris was nominated by Gina McLachlan, advisor of Fulton High School's FBLA team, with which he has volunteered for the past two years. Harris has worked directly with students, providing advice on how to prepare business plans and helping them prepare for competitions - he helped guide Jake Pierce and Dan McClure to a second-place finish at nationals with their competitive Business Plan Project last year.
"He has really followed them from the beginning," McLachlan said. "We've had success (over the past two years) and I think he is part of the reason.
"He was always willing to work with us - he never said no," she continued. "We really appreciate all his work."