Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers Surprises Virginia Teacher of the Year with $1,000 Donation to School

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers Chief Marketing Officer Cassidy Lewis (left) surprises Portlock Primary Principal Heather Brusso (2nd from left) and Virginia Teacher of the Year Daphne Fulson (2nd from right) with a $1,000 donation to honor Fulson for her achievement.
NORFOLK, VA — December 23, 2021: Chesapeake’s Portlock Primary School made headlines when one of its teachers was named Virginia Teacher of the Year. Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers recently added to the joy at the school when the firm donated $1,000.
Chief Marketing Officer Cassidy Lewis surprised Daphne Fulson, the Virginia Teacher of the Year, with a $250 Delta Airlines gift card and donated $1,000 to the school this November.
Every city and county in Virginia chooses a teacher of the year. Fulson, a second-grade teacher who loves to travel, won the state accolade after a trip to the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond.
“It means the world to me,” said Daphne Fulson. “I’ve always known I wanted to be a teacher, but you don’t imagine that the whole state is rallying for you,” she added. “It means a lot to me for my kiddos to see I’m not just there for them, but for a whole plethora of students across the whole state as well as my colleagues and every other kid I’ve had in my classroom.”
The National Teacher of the Year will be named soon, and Fulson will take a trip to the White House to find out if she’s has won the prestigious honor.
Fulson said she loves the community orientation side of teaching and the fact that it’s an ongoing surprise. “My kids literally fill me with joy every day.”
Portlock’s principal, Heather Brusso, praised her award-winning teacher. “I have been in her room and I have seen the amazing things she has done … It warms my heart to see her with those kids,” she shared.
“The Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers Cares initiative is dedicated to education and youth-based initiatives,” Lewis said. “You are such a gem to our community. We love educators; we love everything you do.”
Fulson earned her bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk in 2013. She is pursuing her master’s degree in educational leadership from the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies. She was one of eight regional finalists vying for the honor of Virginia Teacher of the Year. To be considered, each teacher had to submit a portfolio highlighting their accomplishments, educational philosophy, and community activities they take part in. Fulson will be the Commonwealth’s nominee in the National Teacher of the Year program. Fulson has 12 years of teaching experience, four of them in Chesapeake.
Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers supports teachers, schools, sports teams, and young people across Hampton Roads. The Norfolk-based personal injury law firm supported schools during the pandemic and recently awarded $5,000 to Larrymore Elementary School in Norfolk, the winner of the firm’s Vote for a School contest. Find out more at cooperhurley.com/community.
About Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers helps those who have been injured in car, truck, and motorcycle accidents across Virginia. For more information, call 757-333-3333 or visit our contact page.