Professional of the Year - Education/Teacher

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Joan F. Harper

Title: Teacher, Retired
Industry: Education
Type of Organization: High School, Junior High School
Major Product/Service: Middle and secondary education
Expertise: Mrs. Harper has over 36 years experience teaching. Over her career, she taught the second grade, junior high and high school level students. She enjoyed preparing children for the future. Mrs. Harper and her husband Joseph both enjoyed the same teaching career and taught in the same school.
Geographic Area of Distribution: Chinle, Arizona
Affiliations: Retired Teachers Association
University/Degree: B.S., Home Economics, English, Northeastern State University, 1956; Master's Equivalency Degree, Connors State College, Warner, Oklahoma; Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
Hobbies/Sports: Poetry, arts and crafts, drawing, cooking, gardening, reading, spending time with grandchildren and great grandchildren
Spouse: Joseph H. Harper (Deceased November 5, 2004)
Married: 54 years
Children: Patricia Ann Harper, Larry Joe Harper; Grandchildren: Christian Camps, Cyan Banister; Great grandchildren: Montana Camps, Devin Banister, Lincoln
Honors & Awards: Outstanding Teaching Awards; Awards from Navajo leaders for outstanding teaching
Career Accomplishments: Mrs. Harper taught junior high school for most of her career, which spanned over three decades. She feels that preparing children for a bright future is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have. She truly enjoyed her career and shared that love with her husband.