TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Northwest Education Services (North Ed) is proud to announce a member of its Creekside School team has been recognized at the state level for the outstanding support she provides to students.
Maranda Foster was selected as Paraprofessional of the Year by the Michigan Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC).
“We are so fortunate to have Maranda and her deep knowledge of child development and applied education neuroscience supporting our students,” said Creekside School Supervisor Lisa Klepper. “At Creekside School, we blend academic learning, community-based education and explicit social- emotional instruction, and Maranda’s ability to address all of those content areas makes her an incredibly valuable team member and mentor to our students. They feel safe and respected with her, and this honor is well deserved.”
The MCEC award recognizes a paraprofessional who exemplifies the best in special education support. Their work reflects significant success for students, continued professional development and the highest standards of educational quality, according to the MCEC website.
Foster is pursuing a master’s degree in social work, a testament to her passion for supporting students. She currently works as a teacher assistant and the lead support person for Creekside School’s High School Functional Life Skills classroom.
One notable achievement Foster is credited with is establishing and leading the Creekside Bistro, a student-run café that serves North Ed staff members on campus. Under Foster’s guidance, students are tasked with all aspects of operationalizing the bistro, from planning the menu and budgeting, to inventory checks and customer service. The work provides students with professional skills they’ll take with them after graduation, like communication, teamwork, planning and organization.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award from Michigan CEC, but the truth is, this recognition belongs just as much to the people who have shaped me over the last six years at Creekside,” Foster said. “I started here at a young age, and in many ways, I grew up within these walls. Creekside did not just give me a job, it gave me purpose, direction and a family. Every single staff member has poured into me, mentored me, challenged me and believed in me. I would not be the educator or the person I am today without them.”
Foster said she also has a deep appreciation for the “resilient, funny, brave and endlessly capable” students she’s taught.
“They have trusted me with their hardest days, their biggest feelings, and their quiet victories. That is a privilege I will never take lightly,” she said. “I have had the incredible honor of watching some of our students walk through our doors as tiny kindergartners and grow into strong, confident secondary students. I have celebrated their breakthroughs, sat with them in their struggles and then had the joy of sending them back to their home schools, hearing later that they are using the tools we taught them every single day. There is no greater feeling than knowing that what we do here matters long after they leave us.”
Foster will be honored with the award during the MCEC’s annual conference on Feb. 26 at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.
Creekside School is a K-12 program that supports students with emotional impairment or severe behavioral concerns. It is based in Traverse City and serves students from throughout the five-counties of Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau.
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