Past Recipient

Ms. Connie Lindell was presented the R. B. Russell/G. K. Walters at a recent meeting of the Alpha Delta Chapter of Delta Pi Epsilon, a graduate honor society in business education in the School of Business at Emporia State University. This award is presented each year to an outstanding secondary or community college teacher.

Ms Lindell graduated from Emporia State University with bachelor and master degree in business education. She holds professional memberships in KBEA, NBEA, MPBEA, NEA, KNEA, SFTEA, DPE, Delta Kappa Gamma, BPW, and the Emporia State Alumni Association. Since 1979, she has taught at Santa Fe Trail High School in Carbondale, Kansas. For the past 15 years, she had taught classes for Allen County Community College.

To mention a few of her prior awards, they are: 1998, Who's Who Among America's Teachers; 1995, SFTHS Employee of the Month; 1994 BPW Woman of the Year; 1993 FBLA Adviser of the Year; 1992 Lawrence BPW Young Careerist; 1986 SFT Outstanding Teacher; and 1985 SFT Most Inspirational Teacher.

Ms. Lindell is heavily involved in professional, school and community activities including:  FBLA local adviser for 21 years and State Chairman of Kansas FBLA for 5 years; class sponsor; faculty and staff representative to Making a Difference Committee; foster parent; Hugh O'Brien Youth Foundation counselor for two years and staff and committee member for six years; serviced a three-year term on the Emporia State alumni board of directors; secretary, vice president and president of Business & Professional Women's Association; Alpha Delta Chapter's DPE vice president and president; treasurer of Delta Kappa Gamma; editor of The Kansas Business Teacher, and many others not mentioned. She has presented a workshop at FBLA and KBEA conferences, wrote an article that was published in the 1995 Kansas Business Teacher, and has presented at numerous Santa Fe Trail in-service sessions. She has supervised three student teachers. She served on a committee to help formulate new program standards for vocational business and computer technology programs through the Kansas State Department of Education. 

Her innovative teaching techniques include initiating a vocationally funded Business Department and was recognized statewide for updating the business curriculum. The application for funding was accepted the first time. Other innovations include cooperation with the geography teacher on an "across the curriculum" activity with an International Business job simulation unit in keyboarding. She guided her advanced students use of the Internet in completing a Business Trip project where the students located travel, hotel, car rental, entertainment, etc. information and made arrangements for themselves or their boss on a limited budget. In Computer Applications class, students created a PowerPoint slide presentation to give to the class. Teaching in an all Macintosh computer school district inspired her to encourage the school board to invest in IBM compatible computers. Next year she will teach keyboarding to every freshman.

Ms. Lindell's colleagues are very complimentary of her achievements. The SFT Language Arts instructor says "She is constantly on the go with her many activities but balances them adeptly by always doing an excellent job in her classroom. As well as leading the FBLA, she supports all school programs (athletics, academics, plays, musicals, and in-services) at Santa Fe Trail High School. Recently Ms Lindell served on two school committees:  Technology Committee and Teacher Evaluation. She pushes her students every day to excel, to do their best work, and to have pride in their work and themselves. I have seen her year-round dedication to her profession and to her students."

Another colleague says, "Ms Lindell is well organized and can successfully run a conference, meeting, or an entire organization. Her local FBLA chapter has 180 members, which is the largest chapter in Kansas. She has been the State Chair for five years and before that she was the State Conference Chair for several years. She is always a positive person ready to take on a challenge. Students relate very well to her. An adviser can always be assured that she will lead students in a positive direction. They relate to her in a way, which all teachers wish a student would to them. The State Officer team looks forward to seeing and being with her."

Ms. Lindell's principal says that they have been fortunate to have her as a business educator at their school. He says that she has a great ability to develop and implement new ideas she has found, often using her experience and ingenuity to develop them into entirely new configurations--a way to "do it better" for students. Hers was one of the early keyboarding classrooms in the State to be 100% computer equipped. She successfully campaigned for, and installed, DOS computers in what had been a 100% Macintosh school. Students in our school truly like Ms. Lindell, in large part, because she has proven herself to be a caring, concerned teacher who likes them. She has worked very hard over the years to establish a positive rapport with students by being supportive of them as individuals and by being actively interested and involved in their other academic and extracurricular activities. She has a history of investing in others and it is important to her to see them grow and develop. She is one of those teachers who is "always" around after school and at other times to deliver extra help, or whatever else is needed. Student growth is enormously satisfying to her and she's delighted when students succeed. Also, she always seems to be available to assist and encourage colleagues and support them in their programs. Her teaching performance is exemplary. She models effective classroom instruction and manages all aspects of the classroom efficiently and effectively. Students consider her to be fair and consistent, her colleagues and administrators consider her to be a strong manager of students, and she is an effective communicator with parents, administration, and with students." Ms. Lindell receives high commendations from her principal.

As a professional and as a person, Ms. Lindell is dedicated, caring, intelligent and intense. She is very deserving of the R. B. Russell/G. K. Walters Award of Outstanding Kansas Business Teacher for 1999.

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