Teacher Steals the Show at NCTC

James Rancourt of Polymer Solutions (center, white shirt) was the winner of the Entrepreneur Award at tonight's NCTC Awards^

Georgette Yakman could have asked for the world and probably had a good shot at getting it as she accepted a $1,000 grant from Novozymes Biologicals tonight at the NewVa Corridor Technology Council Awards ceremony at the Hotel Roanoke. The Pulaski County High School teacher had just tearfully told how her group of often poor, but brave students struggled to learn, putting in long, hard hours while living a life of uncertainty.

She detailed how their parents had been laid off by Volvo, how their poverty and unsettled lives at home left them depressed, how alcoholism in their families scared and humiliated them and how, after all that, she often had to drive them home from school because they wouldn't leave for want of learning. There was a line in front of her after the awards, people writing checks.

Her emotional acceptance speech highlighted a night of festivities where the technology community celebrates its own. Ms. Yakman was one of two winners in the Educator Award category. Molly Bullington of the Burton center in Roanoke was the other.

Technology award winners included James Rancourt of Polymer Solutions, Entrepreneur Award; Neil Wilkin of Optical Cable, NewVa Leadership Award; Attain, Innovation Award; ADMMicro, the Rising Star Award; and Wireless MedCARE, the People's Choice Award.

FRONT Editor Dan Smith was a nominee for the NewVa Leadership Award and FRONT columnist Anne Giles Clelland of Handshake2.0 was a nominee for the Entrepreneur Award.