Alabama’s 2004-2005 Teacher of the Year, Cynda Fickert, received a year’s use of a new car courtesy of Alfa Insurance and the Alabama Farmers Federation during a ceremony at the Alfa home office in Montgomery.Alfa Executive Vice President of Operations Lee Ellis presented the Auburn Junior High School teacher with the keys to a 2004 Chevrolet Impala as part of her award for being named the state’s top teacher.A teacher for 12 years, Fickert teaches eighth-grade pre-algebra. Her professional credentials include a master’s of education degree from Columbus State University in Georgia and a bachelor’s degree from Berry College in Georgia.”Alfa is glad to supply an automobile and the insurance for the next year to Ms. Fickert,” Ellis said. “For students to achieve, schools must provide a setting that inspires learning and teachers with the desire and skills to help their students develop. We are pleased to help reward our state’s Teacher of the Year for the great job she does in nurturing the minds of her students.”In accepting the car, Fickert praised Alfa for its ongoing support of education. “Alfa has such a commitment to education in this community, and I see the car as kind of a symbol of their ongoing commitment to education in our state,” she said. “I look forward to representing all of the state of Alabama teachers and Alfa as I’m driving from commitment to commitment in the next year.”State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton said presenting the Teacher of the Year with a car shows that Alfa values teachers and the job they do. “Alfa recognizes what teachers do for us on a daily basis and the trend they set for this state for the future,” Morton said. “Alfa’s sponsorship, commitment and partnership in this program is one that we greatly value.”This is the eighth year that Alfa has presented a car to the state Teacher of the Year. During the presentation, Ellis announced the continuation of the Alfa Teacher of the Month program, a separate program from the Teacher of the Year.