We'd like to introduce you to another 2009 winner of our "Teacher as Hero" Awards, sponsored by State Farm®.

Barbara Murray-Dixon is a 2nd grade teacher at the Patton J. Hill School in Trenton, NJ, and has spent the last 30 years nurturing and caring for students in the Trenton Public School District. 

Her dedication knows no bounds.  She literally teaches day and night.  During the day, she meets the needs of some of New Jersey’s most vulnerable children in her classroom.  She is both loving and firm – there is no reason that her students cannot succeed; no reason that they will not meet and exceed district standards.  Outside of the classroom, she travels throughout the district to continue her teaching.  She meets students - some expelled, some suspended, and some gravely ill – directly in their homes.  No student lives too far, or in too rough of a neighborhood, for Barbara.  She coaches cheerleading and basketball, raises funds for schools and educators, and works with the Police Athletic League to prevent teen pregnancy.  She has done all of this while working toward her MBA and while battling a chronic illness.

Like all great educators, she does not waver in the face of challenges, no matter how big.  For 30 years, she has been the foundation upon which hundreds of students have built their futures. Congratulations, Barbara!