Edwards and Lambdin named 2026 Project Excellence Winners
Edwards and Lambdin named 2026 Project Excellence Winners
Edwards and Lambdin named 2026 Project Excellence Winners
Melissa Edwards and Madison Lambdin have been named Franklin City Schools' 2026 Project Excellence (PE) winners.
Edwards has been teaching for 22 years, four at Carlisle and 18 at Franklin, teaching high school English for all but two of those; she took 10 years off between to be home with their daughters.
When asked what she enjoys most about teaching, Edwards said, “The best part of teaching, the most miraculous part, is watching young people grow from having little confidence or faith in themselves to finding their worth and their voice. Those moments transcend subject matter or test scores. Cultivating those moments is my main purpose.”
She said she doesn’t have a particular memorable moment from teaching but instead has “a recurring experience. Nothing amazes me more than former students telling me something I once said in class that changed their perspective about themselves or the world. Most of the time, I have no memory of what I had said, but the fact that it stayed with them reinforces how careful we must be when speaking to young people. They may not act like it, but they absorb everything.”
Edwards, who grew up in Centerville with her grandparents, earned her degrees at Wright State University: A bachelor's in Secondary English Education and a master’s in education.
She said that being named a Project Excellence winner “has been a meaningful and humbling surprise for me because it came from my colleagues, whom I love and respect. We may teach our classes alone in our rooms, but our strength, passion, and creativity come from our professional relationships. This important work is simply unsustainable without the support of our peers.” She added, “I so appreciate the support of my administrators, co-workers, friends, and family. They are all blessings to me.”
Madison Lambdin has been teaching for two years, both at Franklin. She’s an intervention specialist and teaches in an extended resource classroom at Gerke for first and second grade.
She’s a graduate of Milford High School and earned her bachelor’s in special education (K-12, mild-moderate and moderate intensive) from Miami University, Oxford.
She said that what she enjoys most about teaching is “seeing growth in each of my students. Working in a small setting allows me to build strong connections with each of my students and see the improvement that they make in academic and functional skills. Even when growth is small, it means so much to me to see how much they improve.”
Lambdin noted how much she enjoys the Wildcat Olympics. “The Wildcat Olympics allow students in the extended resource classrooms across the district to participate in various activities and sporting events. It is so special to see students and staff from all over the district come together and support our students. Seeing the joy on my students’ faces as they participate in events and get recognized on the podium is so heartwarming. It is a great way to end the year with my students.
She added, “I am so honored to be named a Project Excellence winner. To be recognized in a profession that is built on passion, patience and purpose means more to me than I can fully express. I have learned a lot over the past two years, and I am excited to continue to grow as an educator.”
PE, which operates under the Area Progress Council of Warren County, annually recognizes two teachers from each Warren County school district, the Career Center, the Greater Ohio Virtual School, and the Warren County ESC. Teachers are nominated by peers, parents, and students. PE was established in 1988 to honor excellence in teaching throughout Warren County; since its inception, nearly 700 educators have been recognized.
