This article is part of a series by The Vicksburg Post, in partnership with the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, featuring each of the nominees for teacher of the year honors.

Jordan Amborn, St. Francis Xavier’s 3rd and 4th grade English language arts teacher, said she focuses on building a connection of real-world lessons with her students. 

“Ensuring students are connected to the world around them is important, and I believe that learning extends beyond the classroom,” Amborn said. 

Amborn is a finalist for the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce’s Educator of the Year award. The chamber will select and announce one elementary and one secondary teacher of the year at the chamber luncheon, which has been rescheduled to Mar. 1. The winner of each award will receive $1,000 from Ameristar Casino and the runner-up for each award will receive $500 from Mutual Credit Union. 

Amborn began her career as an elementary grade teacher at Bowmar Elementary in 2009. In 2013, she joined the Vicksburg Catholic School as an English teacher for St. Aloysius High School, then became a school counselor in 2018. Starting in 2020, she moved into St. Francis Xavier to teach 3rd and 4th grade English language arts. 

Amborn received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Louisiana State University in 2008. In 2018, she earned her master’s degree in school counseling at Lamar University. 

In her Educator of the Year application, Amborn shared how she connects her students to the real world by creating the first-ever St. Francis Student Government. It is an organization that allows students to learn beyond the classroom. The students meet monthly and form plans for service projects for their school and community. 

“I want the students to learn what it means to truly be servant leaders,” Amborn said. “The students are excited about their service projects because they use ideas that are truly important to them and help them to be a part of the world around them.”