Photo courtesy of Jessica Thuston.
Josh Watkins, assistant principal of Crestline Elementary School and winner of the 2020 Jerome Lewis Legacy Award.
The administration of Crestline Elementary named Assistant Principal Josh Watkins as this year’s recipient of their annual faculty award, The Jerome Lewis Legacy Award.
This high honor, which is voted on by teachers, was created in 2017 after the passing of Jerome Lewis, Crestline’s beloved head custodian who was known for his positive attitude, gentle spirit and giving heart. Recipients of the award must demonstrate a strong work ethic, have a joyful disposition, seek to ensure other people’s needs are met before their own, have a humble spirit, serve as an encourager and inspire others to find greatness within themselves.
“Josh just has that willingness to help wherever there’s a need. He always wants to make things better, and he goes above and beyond with any endeavor that’s presented before him,” said Christy Christian, principal of Crestline Elementary. “I met and knew Jerome Lewis in my work with Mountain Brook Schools, and Josh reminds me of him in that he knows the families, he knows the building and he knows the community so well that he’s willing to do anything to help it go further.”
Watkins has been assistant principal of Crestline for 10 years. He started his career with Hoover City Schools, serving as both a teacher and administrator, and holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Samford University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Watkins also worked closely with Lewis during his years at Crestline. “I feel so undeserving to be mentioned in the same sentence as Jerome Lewis,” Watkins said. “When I think about Jerome, I think about his big smile, his intense humility and his ceaseless empathy. On my best day I don’t reflect half of the light and joy that Jerome brought to this building. So to say I am humbled is an extreme understatement.”
Submitted by Jessica Thuston.
