Olympic Heights AICE Business and Finance Academy teacher Ms. Cheryl Shimmel was named the Dwyer Award winner in the Career Education Category Tuesday night in a Zoom video broadcast of the awards presentation.

“As you can imagine, I am thrilled to have won this award,” Shimmel told the OH faculty and staff in an email after the award was announced.  “I [have] entered four times, made finalist four times, and finally won. I guess good things do come to those who wait.”

The William T. Dwyer Awards for Excellence in Education are sponsored by the Economic Council of Palm Beach County Foundation and recognize “outstanding educators from public and private schools in Palm Beach County,” according to the Economic Council’s website. “The program seeks to increase awareness of the exemplary teaching in our community, while supporting educators and schools with financial awards and encouraging residents to promote high standards of excellence in education.” There are seven categories for the award.

Normally held as a formal and somewhat lavish ceremony at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, it is ironic that on her fourth tilt as a finalist, Shimmel would win in the quarantine-forced virtual award presentations as she spent two weeks last month sick with Covid-19. She is doing well, now.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our Dwyer Award winner Cheryl Shimmel,” OH principal Ms. Kelly Mills Burke wrote in an email to her faculty and staff announcing Shimmel’s award.  “This was way overdue, but so well deserved. She was able to develop the Olympic Heights’ Finance program into what it is today and make it one of the best in the county.”

Teachers are nominated for the Dwyer Award in each of the categories by their school’s faculty with finalists and winners selected by panels of volunteer judges. Winners receive $3,500, while finalists receive $500.