Kathy Dean of Sulligent HS given “The Power of One” Award by A+ College Ready

A+ College Ready proudly announces the establishment of “The Power of One Award”. This award recognizes individuals–teachers, school leaders, district personnel–who, through individual efforts, make an extraordinary impact on Alabama students.

We’d like to congratulate Kathy Dean, the recently retired counselor at Sulligent High School in Lamar County, as the first recipient of this award! In addition to serving as a school counselor, Ms. Dean also served as the A+ Coordinator for Sulligent High School, a previous A+ College Ready program school. Click this link to watch a video about her impact.

Kathy saw the A+ College Ready grant opportunity as a way for students in her small, rural community to have access to rigorous coursework and Advanced Placement classes just like their peers in more suburban areas. She spearheaded the application process at her school. Under Ms. Dean’s leadership and guidance, Sulligent went from offering zero AP classes in 2016 to offering 8 AP courses in spring 2021. More importantly, while Sulligent High School students took NO AP exams in spring of 2016, Sulligent students took 159 AP exams in spring 2020. What an incredible impact!

Ms. Dean counseled students and encouraged them to take the most rigorous courses they were capable of taking. She motivated teachers in the building to take on the challenge of becoming Advanced Placement teachers. And, she celebrated their successes! A walk around Sulligent lets all visitors know the importance of academic achievement in the school.

Because of Kathy’s leadership and the success at Sulligent, the other two Lamar County high schools, Lamar County High School and South Lamar High School, became A+ College Ready Program schools and opened the door to Advanced Placement participation districtwide.

In honor of the influence of this single individual, A+ College Ready will make a scholarship available to a Sulligent High School senior in her honor. Thanks, Kathy Dean for recognizing the power one person has to make a significant difference.