Jenny Privette used to walk the halls at Vaiden Whitley Middle School wearing dark blue – almost suede-looking – sweatpants, with a whistle around her neck, a kickball under one arm and a clipboard in the other.

For brand new middle school students, she seemed almost like a drill sergeant, having students sit in rows quietly before P.E. classes began.

What her students didn’t know is that, even in P.E. they were learning something. Students got to class on time. They made it to formation on time and they learned the discipline it took to sit still long enough to get what they really wanted – which was a chance to play with that kickball Privette held under her arm.

It’s that kind of discipline that has driven Jenny Privette all her adult life. And it makes her a fitting choice for Zebulon’s Citizen of the Year.

Privette won the honor Tuesday night at the chamber banquet.

A news story on today’s front page explains more about her life’s work outside the classroom, and for many people, those things – the woman’s club, the beautification committee – are what define Privette.

But for hundreds of young people Privette was the leader who commanded their respect, earned it, then taught them a thing or two about how to earn their own place in the world.

That’s a heck of a legacy.

That’s what makes someone a citizen of the year.