SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 333

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to recognize Karen Thornton, who has been named the recipient of the 2019 Women of Excellence Award in Education by the YWCA of Lubbock; and

WHEREAS, The prestigious Women of Excellence Award is bestowed annually to women in the Lubbock community who have excelled in their careers and who have made substantial contributions to their chosen fields and to the organizations and businesses in the community; and

WHEREAS, Karen Thornton has served for over 40 years as an elementary school teacher, counselor, and principal in Lubbock, and she is currently the esteemed principal of Waters Elementary School; over the course of her distinguished career as an educator, she has demonstrated resourcefulness and enthusiasm for her work, and her commitment to preparing young people to succeed and thrive in an ever-complex world has been a source of inspiration for her students and colleagues alike; and

WHEREAS, Karen's own education continued throughout her career; in addition to her master of arts degree from Texas Tech University, she earned a certificate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education's National Institute for Urban School Leaders in 2009; and

WHEREAS, Karen regularly spends hours nominating her teachers for awards, and many of them have been honored as teacher of the year for the quadrant, the district, or the region; and

WHEREAS, The culture of excellence Karen has established during her tenure at Waters Elementary School is evident in the success of her students, many of whom meet and exceed state standards and are recognized for academic achievement every year; her students have placed in the Global Finals in Destination Imagination for the past eight years and have earned cross-country banners that fly high in the school's gymnasium; and

WHEREAS, Karen's commitment to service goes well beyond the schoolhouse; known for her common refrain, "I'll do it," she never hesitates to give her time and resources to the community; for over 20 years, Karen has served on, volunteered for, or financially contributed to countless organizations, such as the United Way, the Lubbock Independent School District Council of Parent Teacher Associations, the Lubbock ISD Y-Care Advisory Committee, the Ronald McDonald House, Westminster Presbyterian Church, the American Heart Association, the March of Dimes, and Autism Awareness; when needed, she is known to help families pay their electric bills or buy tennis shoes for children or their family members; and

WHEREAS, Earning the Women of Excellence Award is a capstone in Karen's distinguished and highly recognized career of service, during which she has had a profound and positive impact on the lives of countless children, parents, and teachers, and on numerous organizations; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th Legislature, hereby congratulate Karen Thornton on earning the prestigious 2019 Women of Excellence Award in Education and extend to her best wishes for continued success in all her endeavors; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for her as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate.

Perry

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 7, 2019.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate