ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Congratulations to Nicole Burrage, an English teacher at Greece Olympia High School!

Nicole Burrage has been teaching for more than 20 years and is currently an 11th-grade English teacher at Greece Olympia High School.  She works hard keeping students excited and on track. 

Nicholas Torres nominated her for the Golden Apple Award.  He says, “She really gets me engaged and interested in the work.  So, I really just like doing work for her class because she really engages all of her students, not just me.”  

Torres’ mom Ellen DeConinck says it used to be tough to get her son excited about English, a subject he once struggled with, but this year, all of that changed. 

“He just is excelling and she is kind, compassionate, she just is an amazing human being,” she said.    

When we surprised Mrs. Burrage with the award, she was stunned.

“It’s very humbling, I get to come here and be a part of this and do what I love every day. So, it’s really nice to be recognized for trying really hard just to be a positive influence for kids that are that for me every day”, said Burrage.

She said it was a teacher that influenced her to become an educator in the first place.   Burrage says, “When I was in fourth grade, I had a teacher who reached out and cared for me at a time when nobody knew that I wasn’t myself and I decided in the fourth grade that I really wanted to do that for the rest of my life.” 

Lucky for the students in Greece, she was able to reach that goal.