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Kelly Dear, drama teacher at Kingston's Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute was nominated for the Baillie Award by Queen's civil engineering graduate Mackenzie Dixon. 

Five inspiring teachers will receive the 2013 Baillie Award for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching at this spring’s convocation ceremonies.

The award, established by Chancellor Emeritus A. Charles Baillie, recognizes outstanding secondary school teachers who pass on to their students a lifelong desire to learn and inspire them to pursue their goals in higher education that led them to Queen’s.

This year’s recipients are:

• John Alonso (music) of MPS Etobicoke in Etobicoke, Ont.
• Hugh Chamberlain (English and philosophy) of City Adult Learning Centre, Toronto, Ont.
• Victoria Currie (biology, chemistry, science and math) of Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute in Smiths Falls, Ont.
• Kelly Dear (drama) of Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute (LCVI) in Kingston, Ont.
• Sandra Meier (mathematics and science) of Frank Hurt Secondary School in Surrey, B.C.

Teachers are nominated for the Baillie Award by graduating Queen’s students. The teachers are invited to travel to Kingston to receive the distinction at their nominee’s convocation ceremony.

Mackenzie Dixon (Sc’13) of Kingston, who is graduating with a degree in civil engineering, nominated his LCVI drama teacher.

“Kelly Dear has been one of my ³ÉÈË´óƬ role models,” says Mr. Dixon. “I have met no other educator who has the gift of being able to honestly assess their students’ capability and still leave those students with a desire to come back and to do more, for both themselves and others.”

Mr. Chamberlain was nominated by Queen’s English student Mary Lawrence (Artsci’13). After several years away from school, Ms. Lawrence never imagined herself as a university student when she began attending the City Adult Learning Centre in Toronto to work on her high school diploma.

“Mr. Chamberlain helped rebuild my confidence in myself and create a person who wouldn’t stop until she got where she wanted to be,” says Ms. Lawrence. “Every time I think about how lucky I am to be one of the few who is given the resources to take a second chance, I have to thank Mr. Chamberlain.”