English teacher Dana Jacobson drove away from the Alfa Insurance home office in Montgomery May 12 in a shiny, new silver Chevrolet Traverse.

A year’s use of the car is among the perks Jacobson received as the state’s 2016-2017 Teacher of the Year chosen by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). She’s taught at Clay-Chalkville High School since 1999.

This marks the 20th year Alfa Insurance and the Alabama Farmers Federation have provided a car and insurance coverage for Alabama’s Teacher of the Year. 

“We put a great deal of trust in our teachers to help shape the next generation of Alabamians, and it’s comforting to know we have outstanding people like Ms. Jacobson to take on this task,” said Jimmy Parnell, president of Alfa and the Federation. “We hope this vehicle will help make her travels over the next year a bit easier.”

Jacobson automatically became Alabama's nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program.

Alfa and the Farmers Federation are committed to supporting education in Alabama. Annually, they award more than $200,000 in college scholarships to students studying in the state. Their foundations support agriculture education programs such as FFA, 4-H and Ag in the Classroom.