Congratulations to Mississippi Teacher of the Year Whitney Drewrey of Lafayette Upper Elementary School.

She’s the community’s first state-wide teacher of the year winner and the distinction could not have come to a better person or teacher. The LUES special education teacher is humble, hard-working and innovative, possessing all the qualities that make her a natural winner.

“I want Mississippi to know that I am going to make sure the nation knows how hard we work,” she said, upon receiving the award. “I want to make sure our nation knows we produce productive citizens.”

Amen.

The honor says as much about Lafayette County Schools as it does Drewrey. We have watched the quality education coming from our growing county school system and are not the least bit surprised.

But this is also a win for the entire community.

Oxford was founded on the backbone of education, incorporated in the hopes of landing the state’s flagship university which became a reality in the 1800s. Today, top-notch education in Oxford and Lafayette County begins at the earliest levels, continuing through to Ph. D.

We celebrate learning, and we celebrate teachers.

On this day, we get to celebrate and embrace Mississippi’s Teacher of the Year, Whitney Drewrey.