On Oct. 15, there was not a dry eye in the crowd as Paola Epstein was named the Teacher of the Year for Dawson County at the board of education meeting. In her five years as a Spanish teacher at Dawson County High School, Epstein quickly became a staple in the high school, serving as the world language department chair, sponsor of the Anime Club, International Club, National Spanish Honor Society and the Tiger TV and commissioner of homecoming. “In the classroom Mrs. Epstein is second to none,” said DCHS principal Brody Hughes. “You can often find her late in the evenings working with her students and making sure that they are operating at their fullest potential to gain as much as they can out of her class and to push them beyond their limits.” It was a long and winding road that brought Epstein to Dawsonville, and it wasn’t always an easy journey.