here was excitement and celebration earlier this week for Denbea McNally, a special education paraprofessional at Lewis and Clark Elementary in Minot.

She was selected as the North Dakota United Education Support Professional of the Year and was properly honored at a school assembly on Wednesday.

McNally was announced as the statewide winner of the prestigious award by ND United President Nick Archuleta.

We add our congratulation to McNally on her selection and offer our thanks for her service in a difficult and important field.

McNally has worked for Minot Public Schools for the past eight and a half years, starting at Jim Hill Middle School as a time-out supervisor, and continuing at Lewis & Clark. Her current work responsibilities include providing one-on-one support for students who have been identified as having an emotional and/or behavioral disorder in kindergarten through fifth grade. She is responsible for implementing behavior-intervention plans, collecting data and providing accommodations specific to each student’s Individualized Education Program.

That is a tremendous responsibility requiring dedication beyond what most people would suspect.

The accolades for McNally from other educators were plentiful and positive.

“Denbea exemplifies what the role of an educational support professional represents,” said Tara Landphere, the ED Resource room teacher for Lewis & Clark, in a press release. “She is a natural leader who takes her role and responsibilities very seriously. In her professional role, Denbea demonstrates the skills necessary to develop positive working relationships with both the students that she works with but also the teachers, specialists and school staff that she interacts with every day.”

We couldn’t ask or expect more from an educator with twice the number of years in the school system as McNally has put in. Her students are fortunate to have her in their corner.