March 28, 2024

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Mundy receives Masonic award from Grand Lodge of Iowa

Teachers don’t go into the education field to get accolades. However, when an educator is honored for his or her work, it is a cause for celebration.

In September, Charlie Mundy, Southwestern Community College (SWCC) high school carpentry and building trades instructor for Osceola, received the 2014 Iowa Masonic Teacher of the Year Award at the 170th annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Iowa in Cedar Rapids.

Overall, it has been a humbling experience for Mundy.

“I don’t plan on getting any awards. I just do what I do every day — working with these kids, trying to give them opportunities,” he said.

Mundy was also locally honored for his work at Clarke’s football game Friday, Oct. 3.

The teacher of the year nomination process began with Russ Johnson and the Woodburn Masonic Lodge.

Mundy of Woodburn has been an instructor at SWCC since November 2006. The Osceola carpentry program has high school students enrolled from the Clarke and Central Decatur school districts.

Lending a hand

Mundy said he thinks a lot of the award was based on the work the students in the program do for the local community. Every spring break, the students will volunteer to travel and build a house in a disaster relief area. They have traveled to Texas, Louisiana, Joplin, Mo., and more.

Locally, they have built a wheelchair ramp and helped with CROSS Ministries.

Construction on the 12th carpentry trades house is currently taking place in the country club area of Osceola. The houses are ideal for a young family starting out or an elderly couple looking to downsize.

The house is in a partnership with Clarke County Development Corporation.

“They all kind of run together,” Mundy said while laughing. “… Each one, even though the houses might be similar, they all have different personalities.”

Working with students

Mundy said he likes teaching high school students because they are just getting ready to enter the real world.

“To me, that’s a very impressionable time. It was for me when I was in school,” he said. “I feel it’s a privilege to do what I do and to help these young folks maybe pursue a career, whether it’s in construction or not. But, try to figure life a little bit through building a house and doing the volunteering and community service that we do.”