BY AMBER J. CRAFT
Special to the Times
With her trademark smile and a heart rooted in faith and education, Meredith Fitzpatrick has been named Lake Butler Middle School’s 2025 Teacher of the Year—an honor she describes as humbling and affirming.
“It’s an honor and something I was so blessed to receive,” Fitzpatrick said. “There are so many teachers here who are just as worthy to receive it, but I was so thankful to be nominated.”
Fitzpatrick, who teaches 8th-grade Algebra I Honors and 7th-grade Accelerated Math, has dedicated the last 11 years of her life to teaching. Eight of those years were spent nurturing young minds at Lake Butler Elementary School before she returned to her first teaching love—middle school—where she’s been for the last three years.
“My first job was in middle school,” she shared. “Then I ventured into elementary school, and now I’m back in middle school.”
Grew up in a family of educators
For Fitzpatrick, education is not just a profession—it’s a calling. Growing up in a family of educators, she saw firsthand what it meant to serve a community through teaching. Her mother was an elementary teacher, and her father spent three decades as a PE teacher. That legacy helped shape her own path, eventually earning her degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Florida.
“Both of my parents were in education for 30 years, so they had a huge impact on my life,” she said.
Her passion for teaching is rooted in relationships, not just the “light bulb” moments that happen in the classroom, but the deep, meaningful connections that extend far beyond test scores and equations.
“I love the relationships with students and that’s what’s kept me in education,” Fitzpatrick said. “Just building relationships with students is what I value the most.”
While many teachers find satisfaction in academic success, Fitzpatrick finds her deepest joy in those unexpected, heartfelt moments—conversations that go beyond math lessons and connect on a personal level.
“Seeing the light bulbs go off when teaching is important, but whenever you have conversations with them about real life and see what’s going on with them, it’s just really important to be able to have an impact,” she said.
That impact becomes even more evident when former students return years later with hugs and kind words.
“Years later, when they come back and they say, ‘I miss you’ and hug your neck, that’s when you realize you’ve made an impact,” she said.
Speaking life and worth into students
But her influence isn’t accidental. Fitzpatrick is intentional about speaking life and worth into her students every day. She said one of her greatest goals is to help her students recognize their value, both academically and personally.
“I always want to make sure students are giving their best effort every day, and I want to make sure they have high standards for themselves and that they see a future for themselves,” she said. “I want them to have value for themselves and know they are worthy.”
This mindset permeates her classroom, where encouragement and high expectations go hand in hand. Whether guiding students through algebraic equations or encouraging them to believe in their potential, Fitzpatrick’s presence makes students feel seen and supported.
An extension of her faith
Her approach stems not only from her upbringing but also from her personal relationship with God—a foundation she says has guided her every step of the way.
“Without my relationship with the Lord, I wouldn’t be where I am today, so I try to have a light that shines so that they see a difference in me,” she said. “This is a calling. I wouldn’t be able to do this job if I didn’t know this was a calling.”
For Fitzpatrick, teaching is an extension of her faith, a way to serve and pour into others—one student, one conversation, one day at a time.
Outside the classroom, Fitzpatrick leads a full life. She’s a proud mom of two children—her son, a 7th grader at Lake Butler Middle School, whom she now has the unique opportunity to teach, and her daughter, a 4th grader at Lake Butler Elementary. She and her husband, a pastor, enjoy attending Cross Church together, binge-watching Netflix on cozy evenings, visiting the beach, and spending quality time with family on the weekends.
And while she may be known for her engaging math lessons and warm presence in the halls of LBMS, Meredith Fitzpatrick’s influence stretches far beyond formulas and homework assignments. Her students don’t just leave her class better at math—they leave better equipped to face the world.
Being named Teacher of the Year, Fitzpatrick says, is more than an award—it’s a reminder that she is exactly where she’s supposed to be.
She smiled and added, “It’s validation that I am living my purpose and that others notice it.”
In a world where the value of educators can sometimes be overshadowed, Meredith Fitzpatrick stands as a radiant example of what it means to teach with heart, purpose, and unwavering faith. Lake Butler Middle School—and the students who walk its halls—are all the better for it.
