Office Professional of the Year
The Betty Blanton Educational Office Professional of the Year Award is established to honor and recognize outstanding educational office professionals who demonstrate exceptional dedication, skill, and service in their roles. Named in memory of Betty Blanton, a revered figure in the educational community, this award celebrates those who embody her commitment to excellence and professionalism.
Jennifer Hedrick, CEOE
Hello, my name is Jennifer Hedrick. I was born in Enid, Oklahoma, and after living several places on the East Coast. I graduated from high school in Raleigh, NC. I moved to South Carolina after I was married, where I have been for the past 27 years. My husband, Tony, and I have two children, Victoria and Phillip.
When the children were in school, I volunteered many hours at their schools. So much so, when Tony deployed, I became a substitute teacher. When he returned from Afghanistan, we moved to Columbia, where I continued to volunteer with the Family Readiness Group at Ft. Jackson while Tony was still on active duty. I also became a substitute teacher for Richland School District One, substituting more than 100 days a year.
In 2010, my family moved, and I left my job at Richland One.In 2011, I was hired by Richland School District Two in the Design Center at North Springs Elementary. I taught 550 students, from 2nd to 5th grade, in a 6-day rotation for 3 years. I continued to grow as an educational office professional and moved into a new position as a Guidance Secretary and Registrar at Dent Middle School.
This is when I was invited to attend my first Mid Atlantic Conference in Winston-Salem, NC. I had the best time learning and meeting other conference attendees. When I returned to Columbia, I started attending the Richland County AEOP and SCAEOP, where I met more friends and learned about recruiting. I was asked to help withSCAEOP and their website because their webmaster was leaving for a job outside of education. Well, someone at Richland County AEOP asked if I would help with our website.
I then became the webmaster for SCAEOP and RCAEOP, which I held for the past 8 years or more, and I never looked back. I have served as a member and worker bee for local, state, andnational organizations in various roles and several committee’s. I have been a local, state, and national conference presenter, sharing my love for website design and all things technology-related. I continued fine-tuning my skills in student information and sharing my love for technology. While still at Dent Middle School, I became the Attendance Secretary and Student Data Coordinator, and then I graduated and moved to high school. In 2017, I finally found my family at Blythewood High School as their Student Data Coordinator for 2100 students, their families, our teachers, and staff. As an educational office professional, I have also found a wonderful home in RCAEOP, SCAEOP, and NAEOP!
Office Professional of the Year Application
SCAEOP affiliates may nominate a SCAEOP member based on their personal and professional accomplishments, membership activities, and contributions to education. The Betty Blanton Office Professional of the Year is presented to the membership at the annual conference each year.