April 26, 2018. The Rotary Club of Easton was proud to present the 2018 Ritchey J. Ricci Teacher of the Year Award to Stephanie Hicks from the Wilson Area School District. Stephanie graduated from Wilson Area High School in 1988, and went on to receive a Bachelor's Degree at Mansfield University. She began to sub in different districts and was offered a long term position in the Wilson Area School District. At the end of that position she was offered a full time position as a first grade teacher. Later she went back to East Stroudsburg University where she received a Master's Degree in reading.
She has been teaching for the Wilson Areas School district for 23 years. She became Wilson's first reading specialist for the primary grades; and while working with students from k-2, she realized that her passion had always been to work at the kindergarten level. When Wilson's extended day program was approved, she jumped at the opportunity to work with the neediest kindergarteners in the district. This year is the first year that the district offers a full day program to all students in kindergarten.
Stephanie lives in Williams Township with her two daughters. Two years ago she took a position as a band front advisor for the Wilson Band. It has been a wonderful experience to work with a different level of students, some of which she taught in kindergarten!
