An Oakland County educator who goes above and beyond for her students and colleagues has been honored with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

The award winner, Antoneta Gjolaj, is a math and reading interventionist at Graham Elementary. The school is part of the Avondale School District.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. The news segment featuring Gjolaj will air this evening.

“Mrs. Gjolaj is known as a leader in her school because of her commitment to her students and colleagues. Her lifelong appreciation for education is evident – from being a young student in Montenegro, to pursuing a college education in Kosovo during the crisis, to now teaching students here in Michigan, Mrs. Gjolaj understands the power and importance of a quality education. She is someone students trust and can turn to when they are struggling or need help,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “Mrs. Gjolaj is an educator who has been committed to student success for more than two decades and she is incredibly deserving of this award.”

Gjolaj says being raised in a family of teachers and having great teachers throughout her life led her to pursue a career in education.

“Being raised in a family of teachers and being surrounded by great teachers all my life ignited my ion and dream of becoming a teacher from a young age. There is nothing more rewarding than working with our youth and being able to leave an impact on someone’s life. Knowing that you made a difference is the biggest achievement on a professional and personal level. Throughout my college years I had some great professors that left a remarkable impact on me as an individual.”

Gjolaj was nominated for the award by a colleague.

“Mrs. Gjolaj is the most ionate, hands-on, and positive teacher I have ever come across. The Avondale School district is lucky to have her. She is always going above and beyond for her kids to enhance students experience in the school. Not only do the students get excited for her class, but she’s one of those teachers that students know they can go to when they are struggling. She is consistently trying to better herself as a teacher and never has an off day. Not only is she great with her students, but she also is such a hard worker, always helping her colleagues out and is very respectful with parents. Graham is a Title I school and has children from a diverse student body – while others may step away from that, Mrs. Gjolaj embraces it and welcomes everyone with open arms and genuinely wants to see her students do well. Mrs. Gjolaj uses her diverse background to relate to students and goes above and beyond as an educator and a role model.”

Gjolaj earned a bachelor’s degree from Oakland University and a master’s degree from Cornerstone University. She has been an educator for 23 years, the last six in her current position.

Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
• Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
• Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
• Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
• Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.