Award Winner: Crystal Hamlin

Congratulations to Middle/Upper School Librarian Crystal Hamlin, the recipient of two 2025 Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) Ignite Awards. VAASL is a professional organization that supports and advocates for school librarians across Virginia.

The annual Ignite Award recognizes an inquiry-based learning experience that encourages collaboration between libraries, educators, and learners. Ignite projects promote civic engagement that addresses a need in the community or beyond. Ms. Hamlin was recognized for two projects: a visit by author R.J. Palacio and a Spanish vocabulary lesson.

A Wonder-Filled Project
With the generous support of The Wheless Family Stewardship Fund, Ms. Hamlin facilitated a visit by best-selling author R.J. Palacio in spring 2025. Ms. Palacio’s book “Wonder” tells the story of a boy with an extraordinary face who shows readers that kindness brings people together.

“We invited students from three other independent schools (Anna Julia Cooper, Richmond Primary, and Imago Dei) to join us for Ms. Palacio’s visit, and I collaborated with four local school librarians,” said Ms. Hamlin, who also worked with local indie bookstore bbgb to purchase copies of Ms. Palacio’s books for Spartans. In the months leading up to Ms. Palacio’s visit, Ms. Hamlin and Lower School Librarian Carlee Smith teamed up to create programming for students in all divisions that centered on empathy and kindness (central themes of “Wonder”), including a screening of the major motion picture “Wonder” and a schoolwide community art show. 

Vocabulary + Entrepreneurship
Ms. Hamlin’s second award-winning project was one in which she teamed up with Spanish Teacher Diana Niemas to design a lesson that helped Intro to Spanish students practice their vocabulary and their entrepreneurial skills. Students researched food truck websites and watched a presentation in class by Kelly Rambo (mother of Graylen Kafantaris Rambo ’30 and Sawyer Kafantaris Rambo ’34), who operates an ice-cream truck. Students then designed their own food trucks on colorful posters or on websites, incorporating menus, a history of the truck and its owners, even customer reviews —  much of it in Spanish.  

“Collaborating with teachers to help them deliver content is my favorite part of the job — I get to work with so many different topics! And this time was even more special because I could work with a parent too,” said Ms. Hamlin. 

Giving Back, Looking Ahead
Each Ignite Award comes with a $300 gift, one of which Ms. Hamlin will donate to the myFace Wonder Project, which teaches students of all ages the importance of inclusivity and being an upstander against bullying. Dina Zuckerberg, who was born with a craniofacial difference and serves as director of family programs at myFace, met with Middle Schoolers via Zoom in spring 2025. 

The second gift will be used to help support the October 23 showing of “The Wild Robot” on campus, in partnership with the Bryan Innovation Lab and Nature Play School. The movie, based on the book of the same name, “is a great tie-in for our 2025-26 schoolwide theme of nature,” said Ms. Hamlin. All Steward families are invited to the movie, which takes place in the Bryan Innovation Lab at 4 p.m. Stay tuned for more details!

Ms. Hamlin will present both of her projects at the annual VAASL conference, which takes place in Williamsburg, Va., in November. She will also receive a commemorative plaque for her award-winning projects.