ATC Names 2019-20 SCTEA Educators of the Year Honorees

Aiken Technical College (ATC) has announced its 2019-2020 recipients of the SC Technical Education Association’s (SCTEA) Educator of the Year awards.

The awards recognize employees throughout the SC Technical College System who have contributed to furthering the mission of the system and have done outstanding work in their roles at their individual colleges. Each college within the system recognizes employees in the following categories: faculty, staff, and administrator.

ATC’s Educator of the Year-Faculty: Stacey Nichols is the department chair for communications, fine arts, and transitional studies reading and writing. She has been employed at ATC since 2013, becoming a full-time instructor in 2015. In addition to her role as a department chair, Nichols is also the Faculty Assembly president; faculty liaison for the Early College program; a member of the College’s curriculum and instruction committee; and is the subject matter lead for the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan committee.

She previously received the Educator of the Year-Faculty award during the 2017-18 year.

ATC’s Educator of the Year-Staff: MaryAnn Brewer is an administrative specialist for the health sciences division and joined the ATC team in April 2019. She currently serves on the ATC United Way campaign committee and on the curriculum and instruction committee. Prior to coming to ATC, she has held positions as an admissions coordinator, human resource coordinator, admissions coordinator assistant, and bank teller.

ATC’s Educator of the Year-Administrator: Mary Commons is the director of resource development and director of the ATC Foundation. She has been employed at ATC for 20 years and during that time she has participated in and led many campus campaigns including the Family Giving Campaign, ATC Blessing Box, and the American Heart Association. She is a member of the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the South Carolina Festival and Event Association, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Commons has received several awards from ATC including ATC Administrator of the Year award in 2003 and SCTEA Educator of the Year-Administrator for the 2002-03 year.

Nichols, Brewer and Commons will be recognized along with other Educator of the Year award recipients in February during SCTEA’s annual conference in Myrtle Beach.