Kimberley Beugger
NOMINEE
Nominated by
Susie Benzan
July 28, 2020
Known to her students as Ms. McKinnon, Kimberley (whose married name is Beugger) possess many qualities of being an awesome person because she goes the extra mile. As my son's English Studies 12 teacher, Kimberley strives to empower today's generation of young men and women, on the edge of adulthood, to think independently, critically and reflectively about life and the world around them. Moving to a remote delivery of learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she continued to hold student led literary discussions on George Orwell's 1984. Stimulating introverts in an extroverted world, my son values that she nurtures critical thinking and the expression of ideas freely. As an introverted individual, my son continued to be engaged in every early remote session while many other students opted out during this unprecedented and challenging time of learning. In addition, she used a communication platform, Remind, to reach students to provide additional support. At times, she tried to reach out to students by phone in which my son hesitantly declined because, unlike the masses of Gen Z's, he has a fixed phone plan because cell phone plans are so expensive for a fixed income family. Despite this, my son and his teacher continued to communicate via Remind regarding literary studies. It is her recognition of my son's strong self discipline for hard work that initiated a desire to support his potential as a bright student to go far in life. As a kind-hearted woman, a busy mother of three young extraordinary minds, and a caring teacher, Kimberley went the extra mile to bring my son happiness. Her generosity and support of my son goes beyond the classroom, hence going the extra mile. She reached out to Koodo's marketing department in hopes of giving him sometime special - to set him up for success as he transitions to university. Kimberley's act of kindness has touched my heart deeply as no one has ever done anything extraordinary for our family. On behalf of my son and I, we would like to nominate Ms. McKinnon (Beugger) as a hero of awesomeness. Kimberley's kindness shines through in and beyond the classroom and in her own community. By doing so, she makes the world a better place for all of us. For this, she is most deserving of this extraordinary recognition.