Oxbow Honors Cindy Johansen Staff Excellence

We have great teachers here at Oxbow Academy, and this month we would like to honor Cindy Johansen. Cindy is one of our veteran teachers and has dedicated hundreds of hours to improve the academic performance of all students. Whether in her own classroom or through experiential activities, Cindy has made an impact in the lives of our students. Cindy goes above and beyond what is required of her, and it is not uncommon for her to give her time and resources to improve the lives of her students. She has high expectations for each of her students because she can see their potential. They respect her and want to improve because of her efforts. “I am grateful for Cindy because she is a great individual who adds to our academic team. I know that she has been an impetus in getting several of our students to leave with diplomas. While it takes our whole staff to see these boys through to graduation, there are many who would not have left with their diplomas had it not been for her additional efforts. We are lucky to have her on our team”, as stated by our Academic Director Cindy Lindsay.

Others have noticed the impact that Cindy has had not only at Oxbow but also in our community. Debbie our West Campus Office Manager shares:

“While living in Sanpete gives you the opportunity to see how others live – Cindy lives with pure goodness in her heart. I have heard of Cindy Johansen being a superstar for years, without actually knowing who she is on a personal level. She Goes above and beyond by always making time to help the student progress. She has helped numerous students succeed, in school and in life. Cindy also never lets her neighbor or friends down. Cindy goes the extra mile, and then a little bit further to put her special polish on things.
Cindy gives her knowledge and understanding to every student here at Oxbow selflessly. Cindy does, however, require they respect her and present their best behavior. Her essence gives these students the keys to success. Cindy cares about every student. I absolutely love to hear the students say ‘they know it will be fun’ because Cindy is going to be there. Cindy stands in total awesomeness! Her legacy is her spirit and caring. Congratulations Ms. J! You Rock!”

Julie Anderson, our family service director, gets to hear from the students and families who have been directly affected by the hard efforts of Cindy and as a mom herself whose actual children had her as a teacher:

“Cindy Johansen (Miss ‘J’ to her students) is one of the most amazing teachers around! On a personal level, all of my children had her as a teacher in the local middle school, and absolutely loved her! She has more patience and dedication and love for her students than any teacher I know! Many times I have seen her working one-on-one with different students at Oxbow. I know she has been the reason many of our students have graduated from high school. She works so hard with the students in the classroom, as well as coming in on the weekends to help those who may be struggling with their assignments. Cindy always goes above and beyond what is expected of her because she truly cares about each individual student. Cindy has a great sense of humor and is a wonderful role model for everyone she comes in contact with. Congratulations, Miss ‘J’!!!”

As stated above “Miss J” has personally gone above and beyond helping many students graduate high school before they leave. Three of our therapist who have personally worked with these students report that:

“Miss J is one that constantly goes above and beyond. She comes in on weekends to help students take tests so that they can reach their goals and is willing to spend extra time to help students succeed. She is also one that is radically genuine! Boys know that she cares by the way she acts and the things that she says. She has the ability to hold a student accountable for inappropriate behaviors and then offer a second chance to the same boy and help him succeed. She is invaluable to Oxbow and our student’s academic success.”
Todd Spaulding, LCSW, CSAT

“She is fantastic and has a genuine concern for the boys, not just in their education, but overall. She pushes them to do their best and go beyond what they think they can do. She has helped boys graduate that never would have made it without her. We are so grateful for her efforts!”
Maria Watters Therapist and Research Director

“Cindy is truly dedicated to her students at Oxbow Academy. She shows her dedication by intervening in ways that allow her students to achieve the greatest amount of success possible. She has a keen eye for noticing which clients are struggling and are in need of additional interventions and resources and goes above and beyond to implement interventions in their behalf. She is sensitive to communicating with her students and working alongside them to ensure their academic success.”
Rachelle Hamill LCSW

Overall Miss J’s skills, attributes and talents are incredibly appreciated here at Oxbow Academy. We are grateful for all she does for our students, and the positive and funny influences she provides to those she works with. Thank you for being a huge team player, Cindy!