“I was excited that she was getting appreciated and everyone else sees what we see: how much she does and how much she loves her students,” junior Emmy Mills said. “She goes above and beyond with everything she does, and her involvement in the school is nothing I've seen before with any other teacher.”

     As Haynes entered the media center, tears welled in her eyes as applause filled the room. Unaware she had been nominated, she felt humbled and honored to receive this prestigious award.

     “Mrs. Haynes [is] very special because she is [someone] who didn't count down till she could retire; she could have retired twice over,” media coordinator Olivia Mills said. “It's very seldom that you see someone [who] loves what they do so much that they're willing to stay in the job.”

    “If you know Mrs. Haynes, you know she never says the word no; that's her least favorite word,” Oliva said. “She is here all hours of the day, all days of the week, and that's also translated into her community as well; she has always just been giving what she can to her community to make it better.” 

     To Haynes, service is something that is done without expecting recognition.

     “What I do is worthwhile,” Haynes said. “When you do what you love and then one day somebody says, ‘hey, we see what you do’, and you didn't do it for recognition, but it's almost a validation.”

     Haynes makes an effort not only to teach and serve, but also to care about individuals while doing so. In addition, she sets an example for students and teaches them how to follow her footsteps with service. 

     “All of her students feel so comfortable with her, which is why everyone loves her because she wants people to know that she cares about them,” Emmy said. “She did encourage us to get involved with nonprofits through SGA, so I think that was something she really cares about: making sure that communities around Greenville have people trying to help them.”

     The process of getting this award is highly selective, highlighting individuals who have made significant contributions to their state and communities. Farkas, a former Rose student body president who worked closely with Haynes, led the effort to nominate her, beginning with a formal nomination put forward with the office of the governor.

     “I had to accompany that with several other letters of support, one being from Dr. Lassiter, a superintendent, and another from school board member Jennifer Hodgson, who represents District 5,” Farkas said

     Students are the single most important thing that keeps Haynes passionate about her profession. She dedicates her time to mentor and support every success her students achieve. 

     “[My influence] will continue because I don't invest in a program, I don't invest in school, I invest in individuals,” Haynes said. 

     While Farkas was the person to nominate her, Haynes has the support of not just an individual, but the entire Rose community. 

     “The impact [she has] is really hard to measure because she has made a generational difference across so many years,” Farkas said. “Everybody has a story about her; everybody was shaped one way or another.”