Rod Paige Middle School teacher Desiree Sartin has been named the semi-finalist winner for the second annual L.U.C.Y. Award (Lifting Up Children and Youth), presented by GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. Sartin, along with award winner Joe B. Raymond III, will be honored at the Museum’s 2021 Gala on December 1 in Cleveland.
As the semi-finalist, Sartin will receive a $200 honorarium, and her school will also receive vouchers to the Museum. Emily Havens, Executive Director of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, explains, “This award was created in memory of one of our founders, the late Lucy Janoush. Both Joe and our runner-up, Desiree Sartin, have done so much to ensure that music remains a vital part of education in Mississippi. Lucy would be proud to know we are continuing to carry on her legacy by honoring those educators who are playing an integral role in the lives of our children and their future.”
Named after devoted Mississippian and community advocate, Lucy Janoush, who was instrumental in securing funding for the development of the Mississippi Museum, the L.U.C.Y. Award celebrates K-12 educators from the state of Mississippi who embody the educational mission of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. To apply, educators had to complete an online application by submitting an original unit of lessons covering a minimum of four weeks, and a video of themselves teaching one of the lessons within the unit submitted. Academic educators must incorporate music as a tool for teaching course content, while music educators must incorporate at least one other academic content area as a tool for course content.
Desiree Sartin is a mother, teacher and entrepreneur. She graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in business technology education in 2007. She also attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson from 2000-2003, where she obtained two associate’s degrees in Microcomputer technology and business office technology. Sartin taught technology classes for six years at McComb High School in McComb, and has taught technology classes for the last seven years at Rod Paige Middle School. She serves as an advisor for the Technology Student Association at RPMS and serves on the events committee. Sartin is a member of the professional educator’s association ACTE: Association for Career and Technical Education. In May 2021, Sartin was presented with the Teacher of the Year Award from the Student of the Year, Gelya Sanders. Sartin believes that all children can learn, and she focuses on building relationships with her students and fellow staff. She is a huge proponent of digital literacy and digital citizenship. In addition to teaching, Sartin operates a small business on the weekends with her sister, called Sisters’ Restaurant and Venue Rental, LLC. She also creates graphics and digital content for small businesses. In her spare time, she enjoys writing poems and short stories. Sartin is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Girls Who Code, and she participates in various community events with C.O.O.L. (Christ. Over. Our. Lives.) KIDS Ministry of China Lee Missionary Baptist Church. Sartin’s proudest accomplishment is being a mother to twin girls.
Tickets for the 2021 Gala range from $150 to $500 for packages and are currently on sale to the general public. Ticket packages can be purchased by visiting the box office at GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, or by calling 662-441-0100.