When she was younger, Pat Knable imagined becoming a nurse one day.

The mother of two never found time to go to nursing school, but she still ended up in a job in which she helps to heal.

As a teacher's aide at the Mars Home for Youth, Mrs. Knable tends to girls who live at the home for troubled teens.

"I really love my job," she said. "I enjoy working with the kids."

For her dedication, Mrs. Knable has received the Spirit Award for 2007. She was presented with the award in November from the board of directors of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV, which provides educational services at Mars Home for Youth and is Mrs. Knable's employer.

The award was created to recognize a member of the support staff who "exemplifies excellence on the job, caring involvement, and involvement in the community," according to the intermediate unit's labor and management committee, which presents the award.

Mrs. Knable, 59, of Jefferson, Butler County, was chosen for the honor by a selection committee representing all areas of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit, which serves Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties.

People she works with have won the award in the past, Mrs. Knable said, but she never expected to get it. The job itself provides a reward for her, she said, because it allows her to watch children blossom under the consistent, caring attention provided at the school.

Mrs. Knable works with girls who range in age from 13 to 18. They come to the school with a variety of behavior and discipline problems, but their needs are simple, she said.

"I don't try to be their friend. It doesn't work," Mrs. Knable said. "They need discipline. They need to know what you expect from them. And you have to encourage them to meet that goal.

"If they have dreams, you really have to help them drive for it."

One girl's dream was as simple as having candles on a birthday cake. Mrs. Knable didn't know how much the candles meant to the girl until she read letters from her students during the award ceremony.

"Something you should know about Mrs. Knable is that she loves and cares for us," wrote Melanie, a student at the home. "My best example is I just had my birthday. I mentioned to her that I really missed getting to have candles on my cake like I had when I was a little girl. It was my 18th birthday and she surprised me by buying candles and putting them on the cake. They took the class to the cafeteria and when I walked in, there was the lit cake and Mrs. Knable with a camera. I will cherish that picture!"

Mars Home for Youth is a residential facility, and Mrs. Knable tries to add touches of home. She brought apples from her home in the fall, for example, and taught the girls to make apple sauce and apple pies.

"We took them around to the staff. They were so proud," she said.

A graduate of Penn Hills High School, Mrs. Knable first worked with youths at the Home for Crippled Children in Squirrel Hill after she graduated from high school. She enjoyed getting to know the children at the school but quit when she married and started her family.

The family settled in the Saxonburg area, and Mrs. Knable worked for years in a neighborhood pharmacy. It was convenient when her children were in school, she said, because she was close to home, but she found herself wanting more from her job. "I really missed working with kids," she said.

She learned of an opening at the intermediate unit and began working as a paraprofessional, or teacher's aide. She assisted teachers and their students first at Clarence Brown School in Butler, and then at the Mars Home for Youth, where she has stayed for 13 years. She has made a lasting impression there on staff and residents alike.

"She is a very conscientious person and makes everyone around her feel special," said Ginger Downing, secretary at the home. "She teaches self-esteem and kindness to all the students. Every day she gives 110 percent of herself to making the classroom a great place to be."

First Published: December 16, 2007, 5:00 a.m.