Cenise Smith, a Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) teacher at Shiloh High School, has earned recognition as the Georgia Marketing Education Association’s (GMEA) 2023 Teacher of the Year. The GCPS educator will be honored at the 2023 Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education (GACTE) Summer Conference for being a leader in her field. GMEA is a division of GACTE.

     This GMEA honor is a nomination-based award and votes are submitted by GMEA members. Nominees are evaluated based on their accomplishments and innovations that exude the qualities of a winning candidate. Additionally, consideration is given to their contributions to the Career and Technical Education community ranging from activities within their institutions, communities, GACTE, and Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), as well as other organizations.

“In education, you have your peaks and valleys,” says Smith. “My goal in my position as a teacher is to always try to create the culture and environment that will produce the best version of oneself. To receive this award from an organization such as GMEA that I admire so much, makes me feel grateful to have impacted not only my students' lives but my fellow marketing teachers and colleagues as well.”  

The GACTE is a state affiliate of the ACTE organization. It encourages and organizes teachers to become a part of a collective voice that can influence issues and policies that impact career, technical, and agricultural (CTAE) education. As  members, teachers can network with fellow educators, gain important and beneficial best practices, and participate in professional development at local, state, and national levels. 

Dr. Kyle Jones, director of Academies and Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education, says, “Cenise embodies my office’s focus on rigor, relevance, and relationships with an emphasis on relationships. Her ability to connect, encourage, and grow students is a big reason she is so deserving of this statewide recognition of her work as a CTAE educator. Cenise spends countless hours serving and connecting with her students both in the classroom and outside of the classroom as a DECA advisor. Her work ethic, kindness, and joy are evident in her character from the moment you walk into her classroom.”