Lindsey

help local individuals continue dealing with these disorders.

In addition to informative speakers and presentations, the conference decided to honor a Volunteer of the Year and Educator of the Year for the first time this year. Scott Kremer, who is on the board of the Autism Society of Georgia, was selected as Volunteer of the Year. Lindsey took home Educator of the Year recognition, which was both a special honor and a little bit of a shock for him.

“To be quite honest, the selection and honor came as a complete surprise,” Lindsey said. “The selection was due to efforts in the classroom and the recent success of our local support group, the Calhoun Autism Network. It is an honor to be chosen for an award in education, especially when one considers the amount of high quality teachers we have at Calhoun and in north Georgia.”

“It makes it more special when it brings light to the efforts of our members at the Calhoun Autism Network and local teachers. We have many teachers, parents and community members who work diligently to help our community.”

It isn’t just the North Georgia Autism Conference that has observed the efforts of Lindsey. The Calhoun Middle School administration and his colleagues have also acknowledged how important of an asset he has become to the school system and how well deserved this recent honor is.

“Justin Lindsey is an outstanding advocate for students with special needs, and we are extremely proud to have him represent our school system and community as the North Georgia Autism Conference Educator of the Year,” Calhoun Campus Principal Peter Coombe said.

“In all things, Justin goes above and beyond the call of duty and we are pleased that his hard work is being recognized by others who share his passion for serving students with autism and other unique abilities.”

Lindsey credits his this accomplishment and success in the classroom with his ability to form genuine personal connections with individuals of all ages that he interacts with, something he hopes others in the community strive to accomplish going forward. He learns just as much from the students as they learn from him.

“By working in my position inside and outside of the classroom, I learn something on a daily basis from a student or parent that has a positive influence on my perspectives and allows me to grow as an educator,” Lindsey said.

“I have learned that the success of your classroom is highly dependent upon building positive relationships with students, parents, and colleagues. Luckily, Calhoun City Schools embraces the idea of a strong connection to the community. We should all be excited about the potential we have to make a difference in the near future.”