FORT WAYNE, Ind (WOWO): South Side High School World History Teacher Emily Oberlin is named the 2013 Fort Wayne Community Schools Teacher of the Year. Oberlin began her teaching career six years ago and has spent the last three years at South Side, joining the school when it became a LEAD school.

 “I want my students to know how to be good citizens, help others and think and solve for themselves,” she said. “I want for them to find what makes them come alive in the world and to feel the courage to go after that.”

Superintendent Dr. Wendy Robinson praised Oberlin, “Emily Oberlin is a shining example of what it means to be a teacher today. Our best teachers don’t just share information with students, they engage them, they challenge them, they teach them how to be productive, responsible citizens. Emily chose to join South Side when others might have thought it was too challenging. She not only took on that challenge but became a leader.”

Candidates for Teacher of the Year are nominated by building principals with finalists chosen by a committee of administrators.