This year’s Gold Star Teacher of the Year competition saw record support, with a St. Mary’s Saint taking home the win.
Tricia Richardson, a Kindergarten teacher at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Alexandria, received 19,834 votes from the 83,000 votes cast, making her this year’s winner. The Gold Star Teacher of the Year program celebrates exemplary educators who are committed to education and their students and consistently go above and beyond for their classes.
This year’s competition was the biggest in the award’s six-year history.
“This was a lot. This was definitely a surprise, for sure,” Richardson said after the assembly. “Super cool to walk in and see all those kids so excited.”
Richardson was surprised at a school assembly on March 19, filled with St. Mary’s students and teachers.
As the 2025 Gold Star Teacher Award winner, Richardson was awarded a $2,000 personal grant for her classroom and a $1,000 donation to St. Mary’s on her behalf from Gold Star. She also received a $500 gift card and swag from her favorite quarterback and the Joe Burrow Foundation.
“We, of course, are so excited to have Mrs. Richardson named the official Gold Star Teacher of the Year, and we’re so proud of our community,” said St. Mary of the Assumption Parish Principal Jennifer Geiman. “How many of you voted for Mrs. Richardson, and how many of your parents voted for Mrs. Richardson? I think I voted 15 times a day. So that says a lot about our community. Our community is even stronger because of our teachers and Mrs. Richardson.”
The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati also gave Richardson the choice of a tour production to be performed at the school or take 30 students and two chaperones to see Disney’s Frozen Junior in April.
“I am so thankful for Gold Star and for everyone who voted because this is truly an amazing person right here,” said Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati Artistic Director Roderick Justice. “As you can tell from the many votes that you received. Congratulations for telling an amazing story.”
The students, teachers and faculty also received free cheese coneys for helping Richardson secure her win.
Richardson found out that a parent of one of her students nominated her in February.
“I was completely, completely shocked,” Richardson said. “It was an honor, really.”
Richardson has wanted to be a kindergarten teacher since she was in kindergarten.
“I think the biggest thing is that you have an impact on the people around you,” Richardson said. “I just teach my kids that I love you, and we’re going to have a fun year, and the most important thing is to be kind. I felt it today that I made an impact on the kids in this gym.”
