Spirit of NUAMES...

The hallways were crowded with students and parents, some waiting in lines, others making their way to the next room at our first NUAMES High School parent teacher conferences when we heard this bubbly voice making it's way down the hall. It was too tiny to see above the crowd but the voice was coming closer and as it did we could tell people were being hugged by it. When it reached us it called our brand new, wet behind the ears, High Schooler by name and introduced itself to us. Deb Hefner, the Director of Business Operations for Northern Utah Academy for Math, Engineering & Science, entered our lives and hearts that afternoon, and we're the fortunate ones.

Later that year her dear husband would pass away. Our hearts ached for her and her beautiful daughter. At the next school dance, our oldest twig happened to see Ms. Hefner and asked her to swing dance. It was a dance to remember as all the students circled around this adored woman and cheered for her always celebrating the moment. These two had a standing agreement to dance together from that night on, including a dance at Ms. Hefner's daughter's wedding reception.

True to her huge heart and giving nature, Ms. Hefner and her daughter (who was in Armenia this night) gave the first "Jim Hefner Spirit of NUAMES" Awards and Scholarships this year to two students in honor of her late husband. How proud he must be of his girls!

How blessed we are to know Deb!