ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Nikki Cotton was named Teacher of the Year at Orange Beach Elementary School.

This is Nikki’s seventh year teaching fifth grade at Orange Beach Elementary. She previously taught in the Mobile County Public School System.

She received her bachelor and master’s degree from the University of Mobile where she graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

Cotton has served on many committees throughout her years of teaching.

She is currently serving as the Student Council Co-Sponsor and a Technology Mentor at OBES.

She was one of the 12 teachers chosen from Baldwin County to serve as an eMINTS teacher where she received computers for every two students in the classroom.

It is the first program of its kind in the Southeast.

Cotton was also chosen to participate in the Colonial Williamsburg Institute this summer.

She is very involved in her community as well. Cotton has been the Relay for Life Captain for OBES for three years.

She is also involved in the Gulf Coast Junior Women’s Club. She was recently inducted into the Delta Kappa Gamma teaching honor society.