Former Vicksburg resident Jennifer Waddle Hite has been awarded one of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

President Joe Biden announced the 336 teachers and mentors who received the prestigious award Monday.

Hite is a teacher at Pearl Upper Elementary School, where she teaches fifth-grade science.

Three years ago, Hite said she found out her superintendent wanted to nominate her for the award, which involved recording one of her science lessons, collecting information about herself, writing about her planning and implementation of the lesson, and reflecting on the lesson.

According to whitehouse.gov, nominees have to “complete a rigorous application process to demonstrate deep content knowledge and an ability to adapt to a broad range of learner and teaching environments.”

Hite said, initially, the application was submitted on the state level.

“I found out a couple of years ago that I was a state finalist for the award,” she said.

But because the national level had been a few years behind in making their selections, Hite said, it wasn’t until earlier this week that she learned she had been awarded one of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

“I had already felt it was a tremendous honor just to have been selected as a state finalist. I was in shock when I opened the email and saw the PAEMST logo and the large congratulations at the top,” Hite said. “God just has a way of knowing exactly when you need something.”

Hite said the award typically comes with a trip to Washington D.C.

“However, I think they’re trying to catch up before the presidents change over, so I don’t think that will happen this year. They announced the 2021, 2022, and 2023 awardees at one time. I am a part of the 2022 nominees,” she said.

Hite said her favorite part of teaching is seeing her students fall in love with science.

“I also love being their cheerleader and pushing them to do more than they thought they could,” she said.

Hite, who is a 2005 Honor Graduate of Warren Central High School and 2008 graduate of Mississippi State University, has been teaching for 16 years, 13 of which have been at Pearl Upper Elementary School.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching was established in 1983 and is the highest award K-12th -grade math and science teachers can receive from the U.S. government. A national selections committee assesses the nominations before recommending awards to the National Science Foundation and OSTP. The National Science Foundation, which manages PAEMST and PAESMEM on behalf of OSTP, provides each recipient $10,000.