Two Recipients Honored with Generosity of Spirit Award

Potomac’s Generosity of Spirit Award is given annually at the Thanksgiving Assembly to a faculty or staff member who exemplifies Potomac’s core values, demonstrates “generosity of spirit,” and inspires others through their actions. This year, the award was presented to two highly respected and tenured members of our community: Chief Mechanic Dwaine Cunningham and Director of Service Learning Joy Webster.

Mr. Cunningham joined Potomac in 1986 and during this time has quietly ensured that every bus is safe, reliable, and ready to carry our students. Beginning as a senior mechanic and transportation assistant, he has brought unmatched expertise, care, and dedication to Potomac’s transportation program. During Head of School John Kowalik’s assembly remarks he shared, “Mr. Cunningham has faced freezing winter mornings, staying on campus overnight to start buses so they’re ready for the first students. He has followed snow plows through icy streets to make sure every bus can safely return to campus. He has jumped behind the wheel to cover routes when needed, and turned back after leaving campus just to solve a problem that couldn’t wait.” 

As our transportation team said, “Anytime there is a bus on the road, he is on the radio. Saturday morning, Sunday night, you name it, he's there.” 

Ms. Webster has been a part of the Potomac community since 2008. She spent 10 years in the Middle School as a fifth-grade teacher before moving to teach second grade in our Lower School. In 2023, she stepped into a role that impacts every student across every division. 

Mr. Kowalik stated, “Our winner is someone whose generosity isn’t loud or showy—it’s steady, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in relationships. Our external service learning partners describe Joy as kind, present, and genuinely invested in their needs. Every day, she lives the words she often shares with our students from Desmond Tutu– "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."

Faculty members have shared that the “same care is felt deeply by our students. She doesn’t just coordinate service learning; she helps students understand why their work matters.”

Congratulations to Mr. Cunningham and Ms. Webster on this well-deserved recognition! Learn more about the 2024-25 recipients.