By Mary Kathryn Carpenter

Arcola Sullivan proved her dedication to Natchez schools yet again during the last year, and was duly rewarded for her efforts.

Sullivan was one of three finalists for the state parent of the year award, which is given by the Mississippi Department of Education.

Sullivan climbed to the state level by first being named school parent of the year and then parent of the year for the Natchez-Adams School District.

The district recognition was Sullivan’s second in five years.

Sullivan received the award in 2010, but she was still surprised to win it for a second time.

“I was shocked the first time but even more shocked the second time,” Sullivan said while working at the Parent Teacher Association booth at Natchez High School’s registration Wednesday. “I didn’t ever think I would get it again.”

West Elementary School Principal Alice Morrison believes the recognition is not unwarranted.

“(Sullivan) is there for whatever we may need,” Morrison said. “Whatever we call her for, she is always willing to come and help, whether it be reading fair, science fair, book fair or anything else. She is a very likable person and is willing to put anything aside to increase achievements in our district.”

Sullivan recalls exactly what she was doing when she received the news that she was the parent of the year at West, where her son Nicolas will soon be a fifth-grade student.

“I was helping math teachers put together a lesson on angles,” said Sullivan, who is the math and computer science coordinator and a professor at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. “Then the principal and superintendent walked in and said, ‘You are the parent of the year for West.’ I was shocked.”

Later she found out she was the district parent of the year and recalls receiving that news after being up until 2 a.m. the previous night cleaning and arranging flowers for the Natchez High School Baccalaureate program.

While Sullivan did not win the state parent of the year award, she finds the title she did receive humbling.

“It was a shocker,” Sullivan said. “I look at it as if I am being rewarded for something a parent should be doing anyway.”

Sullivan has two children in the Natchez-Adams School District, but she was a volunteer in the district long before they were enrolled.

Her work began 25 years ago when she moved to town.

“I do work where I see work is needed,” Sullivan said.

“I tutor, I help in the classroom, and I am the president of the Natchez High School Parent Teacher Association, the Assistant Secretary of West’s PTA and the Reflections Chairman of the State PTA.”

While Sullivan’s job and her volunteer work keep her busy, Morrison said she admires Sullivan’s dedication to the school system.

“(Sullivan) is a great asset to our school,” Morrison said. “It is nice when you have someone you can depend on to help out when you need it.”

While Sullivan is a jack-of-all-trades type of volunteer, she is most passionate about her work with the PTA and what it does to help students.

“We work for student advocacy,” Sullivan said. “If there is something the students have a problem with, we speak up for them.”

Sullivan recently began spearheading a project to benefit seniors at Natchez High School. She has a daughter, Allison, in the class.

Sullivan, with the help of the PTA, is putting together a senior database that will serve several purposes.

The database will be used to collect information on the seniors, including service projects in which they took part, which will be put on a DVD and distributed to the seniors at the end of the school year.

Sullivan believes all of the hours she puts in volunteering at the schools are for one purpose — helping the students.

“I see ties between education and becoming prosperous,” Sullivan said. “The most rewarding part is helping the kids and seeing them achieve, seeing their smiles and seeing that they know they can do it.”