There was much to celebrate recently as Ocean Palms Elementary honored Lisa Farese at its Adult Volunteer of the Year and Connor Dean as its Youth Volunteer of the Year.
Farese, the parent of three (current and former) Otters, has been an active member of the Ocean Palms school community for the past seven years, most recently serving two years as president of the school’s PTO.
In addition to the varied and numerous regular duties of PTO president, she helped to secure funding to sustain the school’s STEM field study program; launched the Otter Raft program to welcome and orient new families; and spearheaded the realization of the Mike Parrish Storybook Path, a tribute to the school’s first principal that inspires young readers and promotes a connection to the outdoors.
She has also served as Ocean Palms’ press parent and spent several years organizing the school’s Scholastic Book Fairs.
On April 3, at a celebratory event at Nease High School, it was announced that Farese has also been chosen as the St. Johns County School District’s Adult Volunteer of the Year. This honor puts her in the running to be recognized at the level of Florida’s state school board.
Tiffany Cantwell, Ocean Palms Principal, said, “Lisa’s creativity, commitment and caring personality have fostered meaningful experiences for the students, families and staff at Ocean Palms. We are so happy to recognize her contributions and celebrate the many wonderful things she has done for our school.”
Nease High School sophomore Dean shares Farese’s service mindset. For the past two summers, he has dedicated countless hours of his break to supporting Ocean Palms’ campus readiness efforts.
While many would consider summer a time to kick back and relax, he has painted, assembled furniture and organized textbooks, among other tasks, to support the school in preparation to welcome students and teachers to a new academic year. He isn’t afraid of some heavy lifting and takes on every task with a positive attitude and strong work ethic.
“Connor has become a reliable and trusted presence on our campus,” said Cantwell. “In a time when many teens are focused solely on their own commitments, he chooses to serve his community. Connor’s quiet leadership, initiative and humility speak volumes about his character, and he reminds us of the difference one person can make.”
In addition to his volunteer work, Dean balances a full academic schedule in Nease’s Engineering Academy and plays pitcher and outfielder on the school’s Junior Varsity Baseball Team.
