Bonnie Johnson Bartee is known around Northeast Community College for cultivating relationships with students and offering encouragement.
That care and concern in and out of the classroom puts students at ease, which helps them develop their writing skills and find their writing voice.
The Northeast instructor, who teaches creative writing and literature, was the Nebraska Community College Association Faculty Member Award winner. The award was presented earlier this month during the NCCA Conference in Lincoln by Northeast President Leah Barrett.
Carol Tharnish, a Northeast English faculty member, said Johnson Bartee cares for each student beyond classroom instruction.
“She will not only notice when a student might need college support, but she will take the time to ensure the student gets that help,” Johnson Baree said. “Students will often stop by her office — just to chat, grab some candy, or share some exciting news. Bonnie greets all with a friendly smile and an understanding heart. Bonnie’s literary accomplishments and professional connections have cultivated a love of writing for countless students.”
Johnson Bartee also serves as the coordinator of the Visiting Writers Series and is the editor of Northeast Community College’s annual Voices Out of Nowhere. She has held several positions with Northeast, including her first in 2000 as a Writers’ Clinic tutor, and others, such as Volunteer Coordinator, ESL instructor, GED instructor, Transitional English lab instructor, and adjunct English instructor. In 2008, Johnson Bartee was hired as a full-time English instructor.
In 2022, she revived and co-hosted the Nebraska Poetry Festival. The two-day event had not taken place in Nebraska in more than 30 years. At Northeast, she brings local and national authors to campus to read selections of their work and to answer questions regarding the writing process.
“Bonnie is always willing to lead workshops for creating poetry and short stories,” said Connie Sixta, dean of Science, Technology, Agriculture and Math Departments. “She has worked with students from middle school and up to help them unlock their creativity.”
Wade Herley, director of Work-Based Learning, noted Johnson Bartee’s care and concern for students.
“Bonnie has a unique and rare ability to connect with students that helps bring out their inner creativity with their writing, but she also connects with students on a personal level that creates a significant degree of comfort and trust,” Herley said.
Johnson Bartee is an accomplished writer. She is the author of two chapbooks of poetry, Bildungsroman 38 (2004) and Named, but Unknown (2006), and the editor of Teachers College: Essays on the Art of Education (WSC Press, 2007). Her full-length book, Cord Blood (Sandhillls Press, 2022) won the Nebraska Book Awards Poetry Honor Award. Her work can be found in Words Like Rain (WSC Press, 2005), editions of Voices Out of Nowhere and Judas Goat, and Nebraska Life.
Johnson Bartee has three children: Michael, Cassandra and Cole, and is the grandmother to Jaidyn, Kaidynce, Jaxon, Hadley, Easton, and Emmie. Bonnie is married to James Bartee.
Johnson Bartee Honored
Leah Barrett, Northeast Community College president, presented Bonnie Johnson Bartee of Norfolk (center) with the Northeast Governor of the Year Award during the NCCA Convention in Lincoln on Sunday, November 2. Also shown on the right is Courtney Wittstruck, executive director of the NCCA. (Northeast Community College)
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