Lewis wins Office Max award, shares prizes with students

Published October 17, 2007

By Beth Mlady
North Ridgeville Press

North Ridgeville resident Seann Lewis devoted several years of his life to the Army and fought in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. When he left the military in 1995, he knew he wanted to give something back to the community. As a fourth-grade teacher at Hope Academy East in Cleveland, he’s doing just that.

Office Max recently recognized his commitment to kids by awarding its Adopt a Classroom prize–$1,500 in classroom school supplies, a banner and a framed certificate–to Lewis. All teachers at Hope Academy East received $25 gift cards to the store as well. The school’s principal, Leon Rallings, submitted Lewis’ name for the award.

Office Max officials recognized teachers like Lewis who “work hard and typically spend money out of their own pockets to pay for supplies and provide the many resources that children need to learn.” And Lewis, 37, is sharing the wealth with his students at Hope Academy East.

“I’m using all of the supplies in my classroom,” Lewis said. “Office Max gave me copy paper, colored papers, a digital camera, a new office chair, a library card and a three-hole punch. My old office chair is being used by the Student of the Week during the whole week that he or she is being recognized. That way, I’m sharing (the award) with the class in a fun way as well.”

Lewis is married to his wife, Angela (a North Ridgeville High School graduate from the class of 1993), and they have a 20-month-old daughter. He is proud, he said, to be a member of VFW Post 9871 in North Ridgeville. He graduated from Ashland University in May 2006, through Lorain County Community College’s partnership program with Ashland. He began teaching at Hope Academy East earlier this year.

His job is not without its challenges though. Many of his students are from low-income, inner-city areas of Cleveland, and some have serious issues and situations with which to endure outside of the classroom.

“My biggest challenge is dealing with the different backgrounds of the children and all the different lives that they lead,” he said.

But do those circumstances ever deter him from his mission? He made it clear that they do not.

“I honestly and truly love my job,” he said. “I love being with my kids in the classroom. I always had a desire to serve my country, and the next best way (to do that) is to help raise our country’s future leaders. The best part of my job is the kids.”