Assumption educator wins Casey award

Dawn Deweese, guidance program director at Assumption High School, 2170 Tyler Lane, is pictured in her office, where she stores resources for her students in need. Deweese received the 2015 Irene Casey Catholic Inclusion Award from the Archdiocese of Louisville on Aug. 14. Record Photo by Ruby Thomas
Dawn Deweese, guidance program director at Assumption High School, 2170 Tyler Lane, is pictured in her office, where she stores resources for her students in need. Deweese received the 2015 Irene Casey Catholic Inclusion Award from the Archdiocese of Louisville on Aug. 14. Record Photo by Ruby Thomas

By Ruby Thomas, Record Staff Writer
Dawn Deweese said being a high school counselor fits her quiet nature perfectly.

“I’m shy and that’s why counseling is perfect,” she explained. “It’s one on one and you listen more than you speak.”

Deweese — the guidance program director at Assumption High School on Tyler Lane — is the 2015 recipient of the Irene Casey Catholic Inclusion Award.

The award, which is given by the Archdiocese of Louisville, “honors the spirit of Irene Casey, an elementary school teacher who was dedicated to meeting the diverse learning needs of students in Catholic education,” said a statement from Mary Beth Bowling, assistant school superintendent for the archdiocese.

“It is presented to an educator, counselor, or administrator who exemplifies this deep commitment.”

As the soft-spoken Deweese sat in her small office during an interview Aug. 19, she pointed to stacks of books on the floor, a large box of school uniforms sitting atop a chair and a bookshelf crammed with school supplies.

“Every pile has a purpose,” she said. “It’s about matching the resource to the student.”

Deweese keeps these items, as well as bus tickets, in her office so that students who need them can have easy access.

“If we can overcome some of their obstacles then they can focus on learning,” she explained.

This small effort exemplifies the qualities for which Cindi Baughman, assistant principal and dean of students at Assumption, said she nominated Deweese.

“She anticipates what kids need to participate fully and she makes it OK, so it’s not a barrier,” said Baughman. “For Dawn, inclusion is about every student feeling she belongs, she’s important and that she matters.”

Upon finding out she’d won the award, Deweese said she felt “very humbled and deeply honored.”

“What meant the most to me is that the word ‘inclusion’ is part of the award,” she said. “My goal is to make every student feel they’re a part of this community.”

Deweese said she holds Irene Casey, the educator for whom the award is named, in the highest esteem.

“The name is synonymous with top quality service provided to students,” she noted. “This calls me to a higher level of giving and makes me want to do more.”

Deweese — who taught high school for six years before going to work as a counselor at Assumption 18 years ago — is already giving at a “high level,” according to Baughman.

Part of Deweese’s work is to assist students who come from Nativity Academy — an independent Catholic middle school that serves underprivileged children.

While students attend Nativity, educators work with them every day in an after school academic program, noted Baughman. Assumption has put into place a similar support system for graduates of Nativity who attend Assumption. There are seven students in the program this school year.

“Continuity brings comfort,” Deweese said simply.

She explained that some parents of Nativity alumni cannot make it to meetings at the school, so she often does in-home meetings.

“I take the meeting to them,” Deweese said with a laugh. “It makes parents feel like they’re a part of the community and that we need and value them.”

She said this program has been a “highlight” of her career.

Deweese noted that she uses the time she spends with students after school to talk about issues and concerns they may have, as well.

Kennedy Atkinson, a graduate of Nativity Academy and now a junior at Assumption, said Deweese is her role model.

“When I feel stressed I go to her,” Atkinson said. “She’s always getting me back on track.”

Atkinson is a recipient of the Angela M. Mason Catholic High School Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to students who want to pursue studies at a school in the Archdiocese of Louisville. She was also recently selected for the 2015-2016 Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students.

Atkinson credits Deweese’s help for both accomplishments.

“I didn’t know if I wanted to apply because I wasn’t sure I knew how to write a good essay, but she helped me,” Deweese said of the scholarship.

Deweese said everything she does aims to make each student feel like she belongs.

“That sense of belonging cannot be undervalued and there’s no substitution for it,” she said.

She credits the “supportive” and “collaborative” environment at Assumption High School with her success.

The Irene Casey Catholic Inclusion Award was presented to Deweese during Assumption’s opening liturgy Aug. 14.

Ruby Thomas
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