Churchill Security Assistant Named Supporting Services Employee of the Year
MCPS Bulletin
Posted On April 12, 2016
Craig Stewart, longtime security assistant at Winston Churchill High School, is being recognized as the 2016 Supporting Services Employee of the Year.
Stewart, known as “Stew,” has been in the same position for 35 years. Colleagues call him dedicated, invaluable, hard working and a highly respected member of the school staff.
He is often the first one to arrive at school and meets every bus unloading in the morning, greeting many students by name. He is an effective communicator, keeps the hallways safe and is able to gracefully diffuse difficult situations. In the evenings, he often works athletic games, as he is the school’s assistant athletic director and primary ticket manager. He also works on the weekends, providing security assistance to the Chinese school and others who use the Churchill facilities on Saturdays and Sundays. Those who work in the special programs at Churchill have a unique affinity for Stewart, as he always watches over their students. Each day, he ensures that the autistic students get on the correct buses and on to their classrooms.
Stewart has been a constant for generations of students who have passed through Churchill’s halls—a calm, steadying force who works to change lives for the better, one by one. He is intuitive and builds relationships with students, encouraging them to do well in school, to make good choices and to be accountable for their actions. He is a good listener, lets students know he cares about their welfare and goes out of his way to get to know them.
“There is not another staff member at Churchill who is as respected and beloved by the entire community like Stew is,” athletic director Scott Rivinus wrote in a nomination letter. “All the different hats he wears and the contributions he makes each and every day truly make Churchill a better place.”
Stewart will be among the honorees at the Champions for Children celebration on Tuesday, May 3 at Wheaton High School. The award was established by SEIU Local 500 and the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education (MCBRE).
