We are so excited to announce the first Portland Public Schools Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, who will be recognized at Spring for Teachers! We hope you join us to celebrate these three graduates in person on May 15th at Bunker Brewing.
We received dozens of nominations and our reviewers could truly have been happy selecting any of the nominees. And the winners are….
Ekhlas Ahmed – Casco Bay High School, Class of 2010
Ekhlas exemplifies the idea of giving back to her local community. She founded Chance to Advance, a not-for-profit dedicated to uplifting the voices of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. She also serves as the Director of the Cultural Alliance of Maine and has worked as a teacher in Westbrook and Portland.
Kristina Libby – Portland High School, Class of 1991
Inspired by her own battle with cancer, Kristina works as a nurse, bringing empathy and compassion to her interactions with patients. She has completed the 3-day, 60-mile Susan G. Komen Walk 14 times and raised over $550,000 to help find an end to breast cancer. Kristina Libby embodies Portland High School’s mission of being a dynamic participant in her community.
Joe Foley – Deering High School, Class of 1997
Joe Foley was an amazing Deering student-athlete who returned to become a teacher, coach, and parent to his own Deering athletes. He has coached basketball, lacrosse, and football. He brings tremendous energy and support to students. In the words of one of the individuals who nominated him, “Joe embodies a love of school, love of sports, and love of Portland.”
We invite you to attend Spring for Teachers to cheer on these amazing PPS graduates! At the event, which raises money for PPS staff projects, each awardee will briefly share a story of a PPS teacher or staff member who inspired them when they were in school.
