Julia Morrison, a 2019 graduate of St. John XXIII College Preparatory School in Katy, is the 2023 recipient of the Lorena B. Stretch Award for Outstanding Student in Elementary Education from the Baylor School of Education. She is the daughter of Richard and Allyson Morrison of Sugar Land. The award is named for Lorena Stretch, who was dean of the School of Education from 1935-57 and the school’s longest-serving dean.

Morrison graduated summa cum laude from Baylor University with a BSEd in elementary education and a minor in Spanish. During her senior year at Baylor, she was a student teaching intern in fourth grade at South Bosque Elementary School in Midway ISD in the classrooms of mentor teachers Amber Brown and Lindsey Pick. In the fall, Morrison will be teaching at Adolphus Elementary in Lamar Consolidated ISD.

Morrison said she chose a career in education because she has always loved school and was in awe of her teachers.

“When I realized I could study how to be a teacher in college, I was ecstatic,” Morrison said. “Baylor School of Education’s program exposed me to some of the best elementary teachers, who modeled how incredible it is to make learning fun and accessible to all students. I fell in love with planning lessons that would make my students excited to learn. There is nothing more fulfilling than giving students a safe space where they are excited to try something new.”

Morrison’s Baylor intern supervisor, Lisa Plemons, said that she stood out as confident and always prepared.

“Each of her lessons is designed to a detail that exhibits a depth of content knowledge and the students she's teaching,” Plemons said. “Her high expectations, rapport, preparedness, and content knowledge keep students engaged and eliminate behavior problems. Her instruction is provided like a veteran teacher, varying the activities, knowing areas of possible misconceptions, and strategically sequencing the content to make it most accessible for students to learn and engage. She's impressive.”

Said mentor teacher Amber Brown: “It has been such a joy to have Julia Morrison be a part of our fourth-grade classroom. From the relationships she has made with students to the creative, student-centered lessons, Julia’s impact on our classroom can be felt and seen in many ways. Ms. Morrison’s future students and colleagues will be so blessed to have Julia on their team.”

While at Baylor, Morrison was a member of the School of Education’s Student Advisory Council, serving on the Special Events and Service Committee, and worked as a student assistant in the School of Education’s library. She was a member of St. Peter Catholic Student Center in Waco and served as the outreach officer.

CORRECTION:  The print version misidentified Morrison in the photo caption. The Times regrets the error.