Jessica Santman has been named New Driver Educator of the Year. (Photo provided)
By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
When Jessica Santman finished reading the letter she’d received from the Michigan Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association, she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.
So she read it again. And again.
Finally, it began to sink in: Santman had been selected as the New Driver Educator of the Year and will be recognized at the State MDTSEA Conference in Lansing on Saturday, April 22.
“I was completely shocked,” Santman said of receiving this honor. “Honestly, I had to read the letter three times before I realized what it was saying. Even then, I was so shocked and confused that I had to do a search to see if this was really a real thing. And yes, yes it is. Since 1979, in fact.”
According to the letter Santman received from MDTSEA board member Robin Bordner, “the New Driver Educator of the Year is awarded to an individual who is new to the field of Driver Education and Traffic Safety and has demonstrated the capacity to advance and make significant contributions to driver education in the future.”
Santman, who works as an academic interventionist at Dix Street Elementary School in Otsego, said her foray into becoming a drivers training instructor began with a phone call from Otsego Public School’s community education supervisor Marcia Hukill.
“Marcia said she thought I’d be perfect for this position,” Santman said. “At first I thought she was kidding, but the more we talked about it, the more I could see myself doing this. Once the logistics were worked out, I started the training.”
The opportunity to help students in the OPS district—as well students from outside the district—navigate such an important step in their life was one of the primary reasons Santman decided to become a driver education instructor.
And while Santman works almost exclusively with elementary-aged children during her day job, she has had the chance to work with older students the past few years.
“I am so fortunate to work for an incredible school district,” she said. “Even though I spend my days working with the upper elementary students at Dix Street, I have had the amazing opportunity to be a part of Freshman Camp the past two years.
“Being part of that camp has definitely helped me gain some insight on these students and the things that are important to them. That insight has proven to be invaluable when it comes to driver education.”
Santman said her ability to build trust with the students—and to do so quickly—has been the key to her success in driver education.
“Once we have established that the classroom—and in the car—are safe spaces for questions and thoughts, many students come in with a more relaxed attitude and willing to ask questions or ask for more clarification.
“Believe it or not, many students start driver ed with little to no experience with a vehicle. The days of go-carts, riding lawn mowers and so forth seem to be gone. Knowing this, having their trust is a huge win.”
In addition to her work as a driver education instructor through the OPS district, Santman also teaches some Segment II classes at L & L Driving School in Plainwell.
“(Being named New Driver Educator of the Year) is such an amazing honor,” she said. “And I definitely would not be where I am, not even one year into my role, without the support from my fellow instructors at Otsego High School as well as the team at L & L Driving School.”
Awesome job!