The following is this week’s I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE Honoree by Jodie Ingram
“Ms. Sollars is not only the principal of Mark Denman Elementary, but she is also the heart. Each day she juggles more jobs than just her own. She is a leader, a mediator, a counselor, and a friend. She goes above and beyond to advocate for student needs.”
What a beautiful nomination for such an amazing person! Stacie Sollars has been an educator for 22 years. She taught at East Park Elementary School for several years and then transferred to South View Upper Elementary School. In 2018 she became the assistant principal at North Ridge Middle School and is now the principal at Mark Denman Elementary School, formerly East Park Elementary School. Stacie explained being the principal of Mark Deman Elementary School is a wonderful feeling as it feels like coming home to the family that “raised” her as an educator.
My favorite part of every interview is learning the why. For Stacie, the “why” has changed over the years as she has grown in her career. Her motivation is to help empower her students and families. She explained that people from all backgrounds have struggles that we may or may not see, she hopes to help them persevere, learn new skills, and develop the confidence to succeed beyond their circumstance.
Stacie loves her family and her community. She feels blessed to have grown up in Georgetown, surrounded by her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and brothers and sister. She has one daughter, Sophia, that is her shining light. She is beautiful, funny, and loves big. Sophia keeps her very busy with all her activities through school and the community. She also loves the closeness of her community. It is nice to have friends and family that you have grown up with so close by. They are always happy to help out and check in on each other. She stated that there is a feeling of security in that, and you can’t find that everywhere.
She is also very grateful for the opportunities and memories that Vermilion County has been able to provide. She enjoys giving back by being involved in her church. She serves on her church’s worship team and children’s ministry. She loves helping with Vacation Bible School each year, singing at church and with the community choir for holidays. She would like to get more involved in volunteering with community agencies that support mental health in our area.
Thank you, Stacie Sollars, for going above and beyond for your students. Thank you for being a leader, a mediator, a counselor and a friend. On a personal note….thank you for being the best (older) sister. I am so proud of you, and so glad everyone can get a glimpse of what an amazing human you are and one heck of a principal to boot!
If you have someone you would like to share,
visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9
or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or
Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.
