Joe Tersigni has spent his life making a difference in education and his impact has been nothing short of inspiring.
With over 30 years of experience as a history teacher at Bishop Macdonell and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School, Tersigni has dedicated himself to supporting students and shaping the future of education in our community.
Even after retiring from teaching, Tersigni continues to give back. He currently leads the National Leadership Award Program (NLAP) at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School.
As the founder of this program, he created a way to celebrate great Canadian leaders—like politicians, athletes, educators, Indigenous leaders, entertainers and activists—by inviting them to speak directly to students. This gives students the chance to learn from real-world role models and think about how they can be leaders themselves.
His passion, leadership and commitment to students make him an excellent choice for this year’s GuelphToday Community Builders Award for Education.
“Receiving this is really humbling. I’m so thankful for this recognition and I’m filled with gratitude,” Tersigini said when he learned about his award win. “It means a lot to me because education has been my whole life and it inspires people to continue to work hard and do more in the field.”
“I’ve always believed that to teach is to touch lives forever. The greatest resource we have in our schools is our students and they need someone in their corner. My goal has always been to inspire my students to reach their full potential,” he added.
Tersigni lived by five commandments and made it a point to pass them on to every one of his students. The five commandments included: dream big, work hard, be kind, never be afraid to make mistakes and remember your roots.
“It’s really special to me when I see my students succeed and they tell me that what I taught them made an impact,” he said.
In addition, Tersigni works behind the scenes to help teachers grow. He mentors new educators and shares creative teaching strategies through workshops, helping to make classrooms more exciting and effective for students.
Throughout his career, Tersigini has consistently demonstrated strong leadership qualities, bringing values like inclusion, care and innovation into everything he does. His lifetime of service in education and community leadership is a shining example of what it means to build a better future.
The Education award honours a student, educator, administrator or education advocate who has significantly contributed to the advancement of education in the community. This may include an outstanding teacher who has profoundly influenced the lives of their students, an administrator who has pioneered the establishment of a specialized program or an advocate whose efforts have driven lasting positive change within our local schools.
Congratulations, Joe!
This award is proudly sponsored by GuelphToday.com.
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